Channel switching method, device, computer program product and storage medium

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a channel switching method, a device, a computer program product and a storage medium. For an AP device, a data transmission channel for data transmission and a check channel for a channel availability check can be configured. The method comprises: during the process of using the data transmission channel for data transmission, simultaneously using the check channel to check the availability of a plurality of channels, so as to pre-select an alternative channel that is different from an operating channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel; and, when it is determined that it is required to switch the operating channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel, switching to the alternative channel, so as to use the alternative channel for data transmission. When a combination of at least two transmission channels are used, the availability of the channels can be continuously checked to pre-select a suitable alternative channel, so that during channel switching, direct switching can be implemented without the need to temporarily perform an availability check again and suspend data transmission, thus improving data transmission efficiency.

Description

Channel switching method, device, computer program product and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a channel switching method, device, computer program product, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Typically, when an AP (Access Point) device transmits data with a Station device, in order to improve communication quality, it can select the best working channel for current data transmission through channel switching. However, for some channels with specific purposes, in order to ensure that the specific purposes of these channels are not affected, before the AP device switches the current working channel to these channels for specific purposes, it is often necessary to first perform an availability check on the channels for these specific purposes. During the detection process, the AP device is often unable to transmit data at the same time, which affects the efficiency of data transmission. For example, taking the DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) channel allocated to the radar system as an example, before switching to the DFS channel, the AP device needs to perform a CAC (Channel Availability Check) check on the DFS channel in accordance with regulations, and the detection time must last for more than 60 seconds. If no radar signal is detected within the detection time period, it can switch to the DFS channel to use the DFS channel for subsequent data transmission.

[0003] Obviously, for the above channel switching scenario, if it is necessary to temporarily detect whether the channel is available before each channel is switched, the data transmission efficiency will be seriously affected.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present application provides a channel switching method, device, computer program product, and storage medium.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, a channel switching method is provided. The method is applicable to an AP device, wherein the AP device includes at least two transmission channels, the at least two transmission channels including a data transmission channel for data transmission and a detection channel for detecting channel availability. The method includes:

[0007] During data transmission using the data transmission channel, selecting a candidate channel that meets preset conditions from multiple channels in the operating frequency band of the AP device using the detection channel, wherein the candidate channel is different from the current operating channel corresponding to the data transmission channel;

[0008] When it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched, switching the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel to the alternative channel;

[0009] A new candidate channel is reselected from the other channels in the multiple channels except the candidate channel by using the detection channel.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present application, a computer program product is provided, which includes a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it can implement the method mentioned in the first aspect.

[0011] According to the third aspect of the present application, an AP device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory for execution by the processor, the AP device comprising at least two transmission channels, the at least two transmission channels comprising a data transmission channel for data transmission and a detection channel for detecting channel availability, and the processor can implement the method mentioned in the first aspect when executing the computer program.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed, the method mentioned in the first aspect is implemented.

[0013] By applying the solution provided by the present application, at least two transmission channels can be configured for an AP device, wherein the at least two transmission channels include a data transmission channel for data transmission and a detection channel specifically for detecting the availability of channels. In the process of using the data transmission channel for data transmission, the detection channel can be used to simultaneously detect the availability of multiple channels, so as to select an alternative channel that is suitable for data transmission and different from the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel. When it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched, the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel can be switched to the alternative channel to use the alternative channel for data transmission. By using at least two transmission channels in combination, the channel availability can be continuously detected, and a suitable alternative channel can be selected in advance, so that when the working channel corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched, it can be switched directly without temporarily performing availability detection and suspending data transmission, thereby improving data transmission efficiency.

[0014] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0016] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of channel switching in the related art.

[0017] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of channel switching according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] FIG3 is a flow chart of a channel switching method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] FIG4 is a flowchart of interference detection according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a wireless image transmission system according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of channel switching in a wireless image transmission system according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the logical structure of an AP device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] Typically, when an AP device is transmitting data with a station, it switches channels to select the optimal working channel for data transmission to improve communication quality. However, for channels with specific purposes, to prioritize and ensure that their specific uses are not affected, the AP device often performs an availability check on these channels to determine their suitability for data transmission before switching the current working channel to them.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, since an AP device typically only includes one transmission channel, when data is transmitted between the AP device and a Station device, if data is transmitted to the Station device via Channel A, the operating frequency of the transmission channel is set to the frequency of Channel A. If the channel used for data transmission needs to be switched from Channel A to Channel B, an availability check can be performed on Channel B. During this check, the operating frequency of the transmission channel can be set to the frequency of Channel B to detect whether there is interference on Channel B or certain specific signals. In this case, the transmission channel needs to suspend data transmission in order to monitor the signal on Channel B. Since the AP device is often unable to transmit data during the detection process, and the detection time may be long, it will affect the efficiency of data transmission.

[0026] For example, the DFS mechanism allows unlicensed devices (especially those operating outdoors) to share channels in the 5 GHz band allocated to radar systems (i.e., DFS channels) without interfering with these radars. When DFS is enabled, a device monitors the DFS channels for radar signals. If a radar signal is detected on the current DFS channel, the device vacates the channel and automatically switches to another channel. When using DFS channels, strict compliance with the DFS mechanism is required.

[0027] For example, if the specific channel is a DFS channel assigned to a radar system, the AP device must perform a CAC check on the DFS channel before switching to it. This check must last for at least 60 seconds. If no radar signal is detected within the check period, the AP device can switch to the DFS channel and use it for subsequent data transmission. During the CAC check, the AP's transmission channel is used to monitor radar signals on the DFS channel and is therefore unavailable for data transmission. Therefore, data transmission must be suspended during the CAC check.

[0028] Obviously, for the above-mentioned channel switching scenario, if it is necessary to temporarily detect whether the channel to be switched is available before each channel switching, the data transmission efficiency will be seriously affected.

[0029] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a channel switching method. As shown in FIG2 , for an AP device, at least two transmission channels (such as transmission channel 1 and transmission channel 2 in FIG2 ) can be configured, wherein the at least two transmission channels include a data transmission channel for data transmission (such as transmission channel 1 in FIG2 ), and a detection channel specifically for detecting the availability of channels (such as transmission channel 2 in FIG2 ). In the process of using the data transmission channel for data transmission, the detection channel can be used to simultaneously detect the availability of multiple channels within the working frequency band of the AP device, so as to select an alternative channel that is suitable for data transmission and different from the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel. When it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched, the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel can be switched to the alternative channel to use the alternative channel for data transmission. By using at least two transmission channels in combination, the channel availability can be continuously detected and a suitable alternative channel can be selected, so that when the working channel corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched, it can be switched directly without temporarily performing availability detection and suspending data transmission, thereby improving data transmission efficiency.

[0030] The channel switching method in the embodiment of the present application can be used for AP devices, wherein the AP device can be various devices that can be used as wireless access points, such as routers, mobile phones, computers, transmitting devices or receiving devices in wireless transmission systems, etc., and the embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions.

[0031] The AP device is configured with at least two transmission channels, each of which corresponds to a working channel (i.e., each transmission channel operates within a frequency range) for transmitting and receiving data. In some scenarios, the AP device can be configured with at least two RF modules, each of which is used to implement a transmission channel. In some scenarios, an RF module that can integrate multiple transmission channels can also be configured in the AP device so that at least two transmission channels can be implemented using the RF module.

[0032] At least two transmission channels of the AP device may include a data transmission channel for data transmission, and a detection channel for channel availability detection. For example, when the AP device communicates with the Station device, it can interact with the Station device through the data transmission channel, for example, sending multimedia data such as images and audio to the Station device, and sending control instruction data to the Station device, etc. At the same time, in order to ensure that when the working channel currently used by the AP device for data transmission (i.e., the working channel corresponding to the data transmission channel) needs to be switched, the channel can be switched immediately without temporarily detecting the availability of the channel to be switched. The detection channel can be used to simultaneously select a suitable alternative channel from multiple channels in the working frequency band of the AP device, wherein the alternative channel is different from the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel of the AP device.

[0033] Among them, availability detection can be used to detect whether the AP is currently suitable for using a certain channel for data transmission. For example, if there is a lot of interference on a certain channel, it is not suitable as a channel for the AP device to perform data transmission, or if the channel is a channel for certain specific purposes, it is necessary to prioritize ensuring that other devices are not affected when using the channel. Therefore, if other devices are using the channel, the channel is also not suitable as a channel for the AP device to perform data transmission. Therefore, availability detection can be to detect the degree of interference on the channel, detect whether the channel is being used by other devices that need to use the channel first, etc. For example, taking the channel as a DFS channel as an example, it is possible to detect whether there is a radar signal in the DFS channel to avoid affecting the normal operation of the radar system.

[0034] As shown in FIG3 , the channel switching method may include the following steps:

[0035] S302. During data transmission using the data transmission channel, select, using the detection channel, a candidate channel that meets a preset condition from multiple channels in the operating frequency band of the AP device, wherein the candidate channel is different from the operating channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel;

[0036] In step S302, since the AP device includes at least two transmission channels, such as a data transmission channel and a detection channel, the at least two transmission channels can work in coordination. In the process of using the data transmission channel for data transmission, the detection channel can be used to simultaneously detect the availability of multiple channels in the working frequency band of the AP device, so as to select an alternative channel from the multiple channels that meets the preset conditions and is different from the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel. The preset conditions can be set based on the characteristics and actual needs of the multiple channels. For example, if the multiple channels are ordinary channels, the preset conditions can be that the interference level of the channels is relatively low. If the multiple channels are channels with special purposes, the preset conditions can be that no specific type of signal is detected in the channel and the interference level of the channel is relatively low, etc.

[0037] S304. When it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched, switch the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel to the alternative channel;

[0038] In step S304, when it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched, the working channel corresponding to the data transmission channel may be directly switched to the alternative channel, so as to use the alternative channel for data transmission.

[0039] The reasons why the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched may be one or more of the following: (1) the interference of the working channel is large, which will seriously affect the quality of data transmission; (2) the working channel is a channel for certain specific purposes, and in order to give priority to its specific purpose, the working channel needs to be vacated for use by other devices.

[0040] S306: Reselect a new candidate channel from the multiple channels except the candidate channel by using the detection channel.

[0041] In step S306, after the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is switched to the alternative channel, in order to ensure that the next channel switching can be done directly without temporarily performing availability detection, the detection channel can be used again to reselect a new alternative channel from multiple channels in the working frequency band of the AP device except the alternative channel, so as to prepare a suitable alternative channel in advance for the next channel switching.

[0042] In some embodiments, if the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is a DFS channel, then if any of the following conditions is met, it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched: (1) A radar signal is detected in the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel. Since the DFS channel is a channel specifically allocated to the radar system, in order not to affect the function of the radar system, if a radar signal is detected in the working channel, a channel switch needs to be performed to free up the working channel for use by the radar system. (2) The interference level of the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is greater than a preset first interference level threshold. If it is detected that the interference level of the working channel is greater than the preset first interference level threshold, it means that the current interference of the working channel is relatively serious, which may seriously affect the quality of data transmission. In order to ensure the quality of data transmission, the working channel currently used for data transmission can be switched to other channels with less interference.

[0043] In some embodiments, if the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is a non-DFS channel, when it is detected that the interference level of the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is greater than a preset second interference level threshold, it is determined that channel switching is required.

[0044] Among them, the interference level of the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel can be measured by one or more indicators such as signal-to-noise ratio, bit error rate, channel capacity, signal fading, etc. The above-mentioned first interference level threshold and second interference level threshold can be flexibly set based on the characteristics of the channel and actual needs, and the two can be consistent or inconsistent.

[0045] In some embodiments, considering that real-time detection of the interference level of the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel would require significant processing resources, a pre-determination of whether interference is currently occurring on the working channel can be performed based on indicators such as the packet loss rate during data transmission. Only when it is determined that interference is likely to be present on the working channel will the interference level be detected. For example, considering that a high interference level often results in a high packet loss rate during data transmission, and that a high packet loss rate can be caused not only by the high interference level of the working channel but also by the long distance between the AP device and the Station device. To eliminate this high packet loss rate as a factor, the interference level detection can be performed when the packet loss rate of the AP device during data transmission is detected to be greater than a preset packet loss rate threshold, and the strength of the signal sent by the AP device received by the Station device in communication with the AP device is greater than a preset strength threshold. If both of these conditions are met, interference is likely to be present on the working channel. Therefore, the interference level of the working channel can be further detected. If the interference level is greater than a preset interference level threshold (e.g., the first interference level threshold or the second interference level threshold), a channel switch is determined to be necessary.

[0046] In some embodiments, when calculating the interference level of the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel, in order to minimize scenarios where transient environmental changes lead to excessively high packet loss rates, multiple interference detections can be performed on the working channel. The interference level can then be comprehensively determined based on the results of these multiple interference detections. This interference level can then be used to determine whether a channel switch is necessary. In this way, misjudgments due to environmental changes can be minimized, ensuring the accuracy and necessity of each channel switch.

[0047] For example, as shown in FIG4 , the packet loss rate of the AP device during data transmission can be detected first. If the packet loss rate is greater than a preset packet loss rate threshold, the signal strength can be further detected. If the signal strength is greater than the preset strength threshold, the interference level detection can be performed. The interference level detection can be performed multiple times. If the results of N consecutive detections all show that the interference level is greater than the preset interference level threshold, it indicates that channel switching is required.

[0048] In some scenarios, the selected backup channels can be exclusively DFS channels or exclusively non-DFS channels. This can be flexibly configured based on actual needs. For example, if the backup channels are expected to be DFS channels, then when selecting backup channels that meet the preset conditions, only DFS channels can be selected. If the backup channels are expected to be non-DFS channels, then only non-DFS channels can be selected.

[0049] In some scenarios, the selected candidate channel can be either a DFS channel or a non-DFS channel. For example, you can first select from the DFS channels, and if no matching candidate channels are selected, select from the non-DFS channels.

[0050] In some embodiments, the multiple channels within the AP device's operating frequency band include multiple DFS channels and multiple non-DFS channels. Considering that most devices, such as home routers, operate on non-DFS channels, which are subject to significant interference, while DFS channels often experience less interference, when selecting a candidate channel, a detection channel can be used to first detect multiple DFS channels to determine whether a DFS channel that meets a first preset condition exists among the multiple DFS channels. If so, the DFS channel that meets the first preset condition is selected as the candidate channel. If not, the detection channel is used to detect multiple non-DFS channels and, from the multiple non-DFS channels, a non-DFS channel that meets a second preset condition is selected as the candidate channel.

[0051] In some implementations, the first preset condition may be that no radar signal is detected in the selected DFS channel, and the interference level of the selected DFS channel is less than a preset third interference level threshold. Alternatively, the first preset condition may simply be that no radar signal is detected in the selected DFS channel.

[0052] In some embodiments, the second preset condition may be that the interference level of the selected non-DFS channel is less than the interference levels of other non-DFS channels among the multiple non-DFS channels excluding the selected non-DFS channel, i.e., the channel with the least interference level is selected from the non-DFS channels as the alternative channel. In some embodiments, the second preset condition may also be that the interference level of the selected non-DFS channel is less than a preset fourth interference level threshold. For example, the fourth interference level threshold can be determined based on the interference level of the current operating channel, e.g., ensuring that the interference level of the selected non-DFS channel is less than the interference level of the current operating channel. The third and fourth interference level thresholds can be flexibly set based on channel characteristics and actual needs, and may or may not be consistent.

[0053] In the related art, when an AP device is communicating wirelessly with a Station device, it can usually scan each channel in the working frequency band of the AP device and select a channel with less interference as the working channel, then establish a wireless connection with the Station device, and subsequently transmit data through the working channel. If the working channel of the AP device switches, it is usually necessary to send a channel switching instruction to the Station device and send the switched channel identifier to the Station device to control the Station device to switch to the same channel and re-establish a wireless connection with the Station device. Since in the process of sending the channel switching instruction to the Station device, it is easy to cause a long delay in sending the channel switching instruction to the Station device due to various factors such as large channel interference, or the channel switching instruction is not sent successfully, resulting in a long time for the entire process of re-establishing the wireless connection, which seriously affects the data transmission efficiency. Considering the above reasons, after the AP device is started, it can generally scan and select the current working channel with less interference, and will not switch channels during subsequent work. Although this method can effectively avoid interference, it cannot guarantee that interference will not occur during subsequent use, and its adaptability is poor.

[0054] Taking the above problems into consideration, in some embodiments, the data transmission channel can be used for multimedia data transmission. In addition to configuring a data transmission channel for transmitting multimedia data and a detection channel for detecting the availability of channels on the AP device, a command transmission channel for transmitting control instructions can also be configured. The command transmission channel can be used to transmit various control instructions such as channel switching instructions for synchronizing the channels of the AP device and the Station device, so that when the working channel corresponding to the data transmission channel of the AP device switches, the Station device is controlled to switch to the same working channel. The working channel corresponding to the command transmission channel is different from the working channel corresponding to the data transmission channel. When it is determined that the channel corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched, the channel identifier of the alternative channel can be sent to the Station device through the command transmission channel and the data transmission channel respectively, so that the Station device switches the channel used for data transmission to the alternative channel.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present application, channels can be automatically switched during the use of the AP device to select the best channel for multimedia data transmission. After the channel of the AP device is switched, the channel identifier of the alternative channel can be sent to the Station device through the data transmission channel and the command transmission channel respectively. Since the two transmission channels correspond to different working channels, transmitting the channel identifier through the two working channels is equivalent to providing double protection, which can ensure that the channel identifier is accurately and quickly sent to the Station device. After the channel is switched, the speed of re-establishing the wireless connection between the AP device and the Station device is greatly accelerated. Moreover, the channel switching instruction is transmitted through a dedicated command transmission channel, which can ensure the stable transmission of the channel switching instruction compared to using one transmission channel to transmit multimedia data and instructions at the same time.

[0056] When configuring three transmission channels in an AP device, different types of operating channels can be set for each channel based on their characteristics, and the corresponding operating channels can be configured to switch. For example, since the data transmission channel primarily transmits multimedia data, with high data volume and the need to ensure stability and quality, automatic switching of the corresponding operating channel can be considered during operation. This allows for real-time selection of the optimal channel for multimedia data transmission and ensures transmission quality. For the command transmission channel, however, since the data volume to be transmitted is relatively small and the channel quality requirements are not high, channel switching is not necessary during operation. Therefore, in some embodiments, the corresponding operating channel of the command transmission channel can be a non-DFS channel. By selecting a non-DFS channel, switching of the corresponding operating channel can be avoided during operation. The alternative channel can be a DFS channel. Given that DFS channels tend to have less interference, the detection channel prioritizes eligible channels from DFS channels when selecting alternative channels, thus prioritizing DFS channels for data transmission. The working channel corresponding to the data transmission channel can be either a DFS channel or a non-DFS channel. If a DFS channel is available, it is prioritized for data transmission; otherwise, a non-DFS channel can be used. Automatic switching of the working channel corresponding to the data transmission channel automatically selects the optimal channel for data transmission based on the interference conditions of each DFS or non-DFS channel and the radar signal detection status of each DFS channel, ensuring the transmission quality of multimedia data.

[0057] In some embodiments, when selecting a candidate channel that meets preset conditions from multiple channels in the working frequency band of an AP device using a detection channel, the detection channel can be used to first select any target channel that meets the preset conditions from the multiple channels, and then continuously perform availability detection on the target channel until it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched. If the target channel meets the preset conditions throughout the entire detection process, the target channel is used as the candidate channel. If it is found during the detection process that the target channel does not meet the preset conditions, another target channel that meets the preset conditions is reselected from the multiple channels, and the other target channels are continuously detected to determine the candidate channel.

[0058] In order to further introduce the channel switching method provided in the embodiment of the present application, a specific embodiment is explained below.

[0059] Existing WiFi-based wireless image transmission systems generally automatically select a channel with less interference when the device starts up, and will not automatically switch channels thereafter. While automatically selecting a clean channel at startup can effectively avoid interference, it cannot guarantee that interference will not occur during subsequent use, and its adaptability is poor. In addition, since some DFS channels exist in the WiFi operating frequency band specifically allocated to radar systems, if the wireless image transmission system needs to switch to a DFS channel, a CAC test is required. Since data transmission needs to be suspended during the test, and the entire test lasts for more than 60 seconds, it will seriously affect data transmission efficiency.

[0060] In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a channel switching solution. For the sake of ease of introduction, the following explanation is given using the transmitting device in the wireless image transmission system as an AP device. It is not difficult to understand that if the receiving device in the wireless image transmission system is used as an AP device, the method is also applicable.

[0061] To address the above issues, as shown in Figure 5, three transmission channels can be configured in the transmitter device: channel 0, channel 1, and channel 2. These three transmission channels can be implemented using three RF modules in hardware, or a single RF module integrating multiple transmission channels. Channel 0 is specifically responsible for channel switching management, transmitting channel switching instructions and the channel identifier of the channel to be switched to the receiver device. Channel 1 is used to transmit image data, while channel 2 is used to detect channel availability and select a suitable channel as a backup channel. Given that the amount of data transmitted by instructions is relatively small and the channel quality requirements are not high, the working channel corresponding to channel 0 can be a non-DFS channel, eliminating the need to switch the working channel corresponding to channel 0 during operation. However, the amount of image data transmitted is relatively large. To avoid issues such as screen distortion and lag when receiving video data on the receiver device, the working channel corresponding to channel 1 can be switched in real time during operation to ensure transmission quality. Furthermore, given that DFS channels tend to have less interference, channel 2 can prioritize DFS channels when selecting a backup channel.

[0062] As shown in Figure 6, while the transmitting and receiving devices are using channel 1 to transmit image data, they can use channel 2 to select a channel from multiple DFS channels that has not detected radar signals and has minimal interference as a backup channel. This backup channel is then continuously monitored to ensure that it meets the two aforementioned conditions. If the backup channel is found to not meet the conditions, a new backup channel can be selected from the DFS channels and continuously monitored. If a radar signal is detected on channel 1 or if significant interference is detected on channel 1, a decision can be made to switch to the current operating channel corresponding to channel 1. If a suitable DFS channel is selected as the backup channel, channel 2 can directly switch to the backup channel. If no suitable DFS channel is selected as the backup channel, channel 2 can select a non-DFS channel with minimal interference from among the non-DFS channels and switch to that non-DFS channel.

[0063] After channel 1 switches channels, it can send a channel switching instruction to the receiving device through channel 0 and send the channel identifier of the channel to be switched to the receiving device so that the receiving device can synchronize the channels. At the same time, to ensure that the channel identifier of the channel to be switched can be sent to the receiving device quickly and reliably, it can also be sent to the receiving device through channel 1 at the same time, providing double protection. After receiving the channel identifier, the receiving device can switch the working channel corresponding to the transmission channel used to receive image data to the same channel.

[0064] Through the above-mentioned channel switching solution, on the one hand, during the process of image data transmission of the wireless image transmission system, the channel used for image data transmission can be automatically switched to a channel with less interference, ensuring that the currently used channel is the best choice. At the same time, by setting up two transmission channels for transmitting channel identifiers, it can be ensured that during the channel switching process, the identifier of the channel to be switched is accurately and quickly transmitted to the receiving device, ensuring that after the channel switching, the transmitting device and the receiving device can quickly re-establish a connection. On the other hand, by setting up a dedicated transmission channel for continuous channel availability detection, an available alternative DFS channel can be selected in advance. When channel switching is required, it can be directly switched to the alternative DFS channel without the need for temporary CAC detection, thereby improving the efficiency of data transmission.

[0065] Among them, the solutions of the above embodiments can be freely combined to obtain new solutions when there is no conflict. Due to space constraints, they will not be listed one by one here.

[0066] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it can implement the method mentioned in any of the above embodiments.

[0067] Furthermore, an embodiment of the present application also provides an AP device, as shown in Figure 7, the AP device includes a processor 71, a memory 72, and a computer program stored in the memory 72 for execution by the processor 71, the AP device includes at least two transmission channels, the at least two transmission channels include a data transmission channel for data transmission, and a detection channel for detecting channel availability, and the processor 71 can implement the method mentioned in any of the above embodiments when executing the computer program.

[0068] Accordingly, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer storage medium, in which a program is stored. When the program is executed by a processor, the method in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0069] The embodiments of the present application may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing program code. Computer-usable storage media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media, and information storage can be implemented by any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs or other data. Examples of computer storage media include but are not limited to: phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, read-only compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device.

[0070] For the device embodiments, since they basically correspond to the method embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiments. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment. A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand and implement it without expending creative work.

[0071] The user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of relevant data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of relevant countries and regions, and provide corresponding operation entrances for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

[0072] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. The terms "comprise", "include" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements that are not explicitly listed, or also includes elements that are inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device that includes the element.

[0073] The above is a detailed introduction to the methods and devices provided in the embodiments of the present application. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the methods and core ideas of the present application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, based on the ideas of the present application, there may be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of the present application should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. A channel switching method, characterized in that: The method is applicable to an AP device, wherein the AP device includes at least two transmission channels, wherein the at least two transmission channels include a data transmission channel for data transmission and a detection channel for detecting channel availability; the method includes: During data transmission using the data transmission channel, selecting a candidate channel that meets preset conditions from multiple channels in the operating frequency band of the AP device using the detection channel, wherein the candidate channel is different from the current operating channel corresponding to the data transmission channel; When it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched, switching the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel to the alternative channel; A new candidate channel is reselected from the other channels in the multiple channels except the candidate channel by using the detection channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that If the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is a DFS channel, it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched if any of the following conditions is met: A radar signal is monitored in a working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel; The interference level of the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is greater than a preset first interference level threshold; If the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is a non-DFS channel, it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched if the following conditions are met: The interference level of the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is greater than a preset second interference level threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The timing for performing the operation of determining whether the interference level of the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is greater than the preset first interference level threshold or the second interference level threshold is: When it is detected that the packet loss rate of the AP device during data transmission is greater than a preset packet loss rate threshold, and the signal strength sent by the AP device received by the Station device in communication connection with the AP device is greater than a preset strength threshold.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The interference level of the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel is determined based on detection results of multiple interference detections performed on the data transmission channel.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The multiple channels of the operating frequency band of the AP device include multiple DFS channels and multiple non-DFS channels, and selecting a candidate channel that meets a preset condition from the multiple channels of the operating frequency band of the AP device using the detection channel includes: Determining, by using the detection channel, whether there is a DFS channel among the plurality of DFS channels that meets a first preset condition; If so, use the DFS channel that meets the first preset condition as the candidate channel; If not, a non-DFS channel meeting a second preset condition is selected from the multiple non-DFS channels using the detection channel as the candidate channel.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The first preset condition is: no radar signal is monitored in the selected DFS channel, and the interference level of the selected DFS channel is less than a preset third interference level threshold; and / or The second preset condition is: the interference level of the selected non-DFS channel is less than the interference levels of other non-DFS channels among the multiple non-DFS channels except the selected non-DFS channel, or the interference level of the selected non-DFS channel is less than a preset fourth interference level threshold.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The data transmission channel is used to transmit multimedia data, the AP device further includes an instruction transmission channel for transmitting control instructions, and the working channel corresponding to the instruction transmission channel is different from the working channel corresponding to the data transmission channel; the method further includes: When it is determined that the channel corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched, the channel identifier of the alternative channel is sent to the channel corresponding to the data transmission channel through the instruction transmission channel and the data transmission channel respectively. The AP device is communicatively connected to the Station device so that the Station device switches the channel for receiving multimedia data to the alternative channel.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The working channel corresponding to the instruction transmission channel is a non-DFS channel, the channel corresponding to the data transmission channel is any one of a DFS channel and a non-DFS channel, and the alternative channel is a DFS channel.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The selecting a candidate channel that meets preset conditions from a plurality of channels by using the detection channel includes: Selecting any target channel that meets preset conditions from a plurality of channels using the detection channel, and continuously performing availability detection on the target channel until it is determined that the working channel currently corresponding to the data transmission channel needs to be switched; During the process of performing availability detection on the target channel, if it is determined that the target channel meets the preset conditions, the target channel is used as the alternative channel; if the target channel does not meet the preset conditions, other target channels that meet the preset conditions are reselected from the multiple channels, and the availability detection of the other target channels is continued.

10. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 can be implemented.

11. An AP device, characterized in that: The AP device includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory for execution by the processor. The AP device includes at least two transmission channels, and the at least two transmission channels include a data transmission channel for data transmission and a detection channel for detecting channel availability. When the processor executes the computer program, it can implement the method described in any one of claims 1 to 9 above.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 can be implemented.

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