Controlling the number of frequency bands for accessing an access point of a wireless network

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a first access point to a communication network via a first radio communication channel, comprising an activation and / or a deactivation of the first radio communication channel as a function of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of the first access point for the first radio communication channel for a first communication device of the communication network. The invention also relates to a corresponding electronic device, computer program product and medium.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] Title of the invention: Method for controlling at least one access point of at least one wireless network, device, product, computer program and corresponding recording medium

[0003] 1. Technical field

[0004] This application relates to the field of radio frequency communications, for example to wireless communications based on technologies allowing the use, by one or more access points of a wireless communication network, of at least two distinct frequency bands for the transmission and / or reception of data.

[0005] It relates in particular to a method for controlling at least one access point of at least one wireless network, as well as a corresponding electronic device, computer program product and recording medium.

[0006] 2. State of the art

[0007] To provide their users with better transmission capabilities, communication devices that provide radio frequency access to a wireless communication network often use multiple frequency bands (also called radio frequency channels) to transmit or receive data with their users. This offers several advantages, such as increased transmission throughput for the user's equipment, and the ability to have different transmission power levels, energy consumption, and maximum data rates depending on the frequency bands used.

[0008] However, using multiple frequency bands can also increase the overall power consumption of these devices, even when they are not transmitting data. For example, the hardware and / or software components required for multi-frequency transmission or reception may be more numerous or more complex than those used for single-frequency transmission and / or reception, sometimes increasing the device's residual power consumption during periods of inactivity.The communication protocol used may also sometimes require exchanges between access points and equipment using these access points (such as the transmission or reception of signaling frames between these devices) for certain frequency band(s) used by this equipment, and this may also increase the energy consumption of a device operating in multiple frequency bands compared to its consumption in single-frequency operation.

[0009] For example, in the case of a device (such as an interconnect gateway or a repeater) comprising at least one access point using a wireless transmission technology based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and its evolutions, also known as Wi-Fi (for "Wireless Fidelity"), the switched-on electronic components of the device consume energy due to the signaling data exchanges provided for in the 802.1 Ix protocol on each frequency band (2.4GHz, and 5GHz in this example).Indeed, the protocol notably provides for a regular emission, by the access point, of beacon-type signaling frames for the purpose of discovery and / or synchronization with other communication equipment on the network, including other access points (such as another gateway or a Wi-Fi repeater) or equipment using these access points (such as user terminals (phone, computer, tablets, etc.), connected objects or Wi-Fi repeater).

[0010] The transmission of data or signaling frames in a frequency band involves many components, some of which (such as antennas) are specific to the frequency band used.

[0011] Leaving all components of the transmission chain (transmission and / or reception) switched on across all frequency bands results in unnecessary energy expenditure during periods of inactivity.

[0012] Furthermore, it is not possible to analyze data transmitted over the network in real time. On the one hand, analyzing client traffic ("payload" data) in real time is often prohibited. On the other hand, analyzing certain data streams (payload or signaling data) may not be possible. This analysis is particularly impossible for protected streams circulating via virtual private networks (VPNs), which are inaccessible from outside these VPNs.

[0013] Some prior art solutions teach that, for communication devices such as Wi-Fi gateways, which can operate in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, the 5GHz frequency band of these devices should be cut off during periods of inactivity (or low activity) in order to limit their energy consumption.

[0014] For example, some of these solutions disclose turning off certain components (such as antennas) whose operation is imperative for transmission and / or reception in the 5GHz band by these devices, when the throughput measured on a frequency band falls below a certain threshold, and turning these components back on when the throughput measured on the active band exceeds another threshold.

[0015] However, determining these throughput thresholds is a difficult compromise because it is necessary to both ensure permanent connectivity of the device with a satisfactory throughput (depending on the use of the device) and limit unnecessary energy consumption (related for example to too frequent stops and starts of these components).

[0016] Other known solutions propose shutting down components involved in transmission and / or reception based on the occupancy rate of a radio channel (also called "Air-Time" in English terminology), that is, the percentage of time remaining available for transmitting or receiving packets on a radio channel. However, these solutions rely on charts, previously created from empirical measurements, which are difficult to determine because they must take into account a very large number of device (or component) types, transmission types, the distance between transmitting and receiving devices, and potential external interference. Therefore, it is necessary to define different types of charts to cover all possible situations. Furthermore, it is complex to deduce an occupancy rate in a frequency band (such as band 2).4GHz) of an occupancy rate in another frequency band (such as the 5GHz band).

[0017] Finally, determining the occupancy thresholds that allow for the activation or deactivation of a component necessary for using a frequency band is complex. This leads to difficulties in developing nomograms, which are highly dependent on the operating conditions of the devices. Furthermore, it is very difficult to obtain nomograms adapted to new types of equipment or new uses in advance. Therefore, solutions based on nomograms are difficult to generalize.

[0018] The purpose of this application is to propose improvements to at least some of the drawbacks of the state of the art.

[0019] 3. Description of the invention

[0020] The present application aims to improve the situation by means of a method for controlling at least one first access point to at least one communication network via at least one first radio communication channel.

[0021] According to this application, said process includes an activation and / or deactivation of at least one of said first radio communication channel based on at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for at least one first communication device of said at least one communication network.

[0022] It is noted that according to the embodiments, the first access point can be a single-band or dual-band access point and that in some embodiments applying to the control of a plurality of access points, the plurality of access points can include one or more single-band access point(s) and / or one or more dual-band access point(s).

[0023] Such a process offers the advantage of helping to limit the energy consumption of at least one access point to a wireless communication network while helping to provide an acceptable quality of service (from the perspective of equipment connected to that access point, i.e., at least sufficient to meet the needs of that equipment and the expectations of a user of that equipment). In this application, the quality of service (QoS) of a communication network is defined as the network's ability to provide efficient (e.g., in terms of transmission and / or reception delays, and / or bandwidth), reliable, and interference-free data transmission. Quality of service (QoS) can vary depending on network conditions and impact applications using the network, in terms of performance and / or user experience.It is therefore important to be able to evaluate and control QoS in a network, especially for the implementation of applications which have real-time constraints between sender and receiver, such as voice over IP or video conferencing.

[0024] An example of a QoS-related parameter is the parameter known as RTD (Round Trip Delay) described later.

[0025] A first communication device as introduced above could be, for example, a Wifi repeater, or a user device (such as a phone, a computer, a tablet, a connected object) including wireless communication means.

[0026] According to at least one embodiment, the method includes, during said activation, respectively said deactivation, a commissioning, respectively a decommissioning of at least one first electronic component essential to the operation of said at least one first access point via said at least one first radio communication channel.

[0027] Depending on the embodiment, this may refer to a component of the access point, a device comprising that access point, or a third-party device supervising that access point. In at least one embodiment, said activation, or said deactivation, is a function of at least one current value (actual or estimated) of said at least one parameter.

[0028] According to at least one embodiment, said activation, or said deactivation, is a function of a result provided by an inference of an artificial intelligence model whose learning was based on real values ​​of said parameter.

[0029] In particular, according to at least one embodiment, said method includes a commissioning or decommissioning of at least one first electronic component essential to the operation of said at least one first access point via at least one first radio communication channel, said commissioning or decommissioning being a function of at least one actual or estimated current value of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel, or of a result provided by the inference of an artificial intelligence model whose learning was based on actual values ​​of said parameter, for at least one first communication equipment of said at least one communication network.

[0030] According to at least one embodiment, said communication network is accessible via at least one second radio communication channel.

[0031] Thus, according to at least one embodiment, the present application relates to a method for controlling at least one first radio communication channel between at least one communication device of a first communication network and at least one first access point to at least one second communication network, said method comprising activating and / or deactivating at least one of said first radio communication channel as a function of at least one current value of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for said at least one first communication device,said first communication network being accessible via said at least one first radio communication channel and via at least one second radio communication channel, and said at least one first and second radio communication channels operating in distinct radio frequency bands.

[0032] According to at least one embodiment, said at least a first radio communication channel and said at least a second radio communication channel operate in disjoint radio frequency bands.

[0033] According to at least one embodiment, said parameter relating to a quality of service belongs to a group comprising:

[0034] - a time interval (RTD) between the sending of a data packet by the said first access point, via the said first communication channel, to the reception of said data packet by the said first access point;

[0035] - a proportion of data packets lost or altered during a transmission, via said at least one first radio communication channel, between said first access point and said first communication equipment.

[0036] - a difference between the RTDs of at least two consecutively transmitted data packets, via said at least one first radio communication channel, from said first access point to said first communication equipment,

[0037] - a fluctuation, for several consecutive packets, of a difference between:

[0038] • a time interval between the respective times of transmission, via said first communication channel, of two consecutive data packets by said first access point, and

[0039] • a time interval between the respective moments of reception, via said first communication channel, by the access point, of said two consecutive packets transmitted;

[0040] - an average value of the RTDs over a first time interval;

[0041] - a parameter derived from at least two of the parameters above.

[0042] According to at least one embodiment, said activation is implemented when said variation in the current value of said parameter or said result indicates a decrease in the quality of service of said first access point.

[0043] In at least one embodiment, said deactivation is implemented when said variation in the current value of said parameter or result indicates an increase in the quality of service of said first access point. In at least one embodiment, said deactivation of said component is an event in a group of events comprising:

[0044] At least a partial shutdown of said component;

[0045] At least a partial shutdown of said component.

[0046] According to at least one embodiment, the commissioning of said component is an event within a group of events comprising:

[0047] An ignition of said component;

[0048] A startup of said component;

[0049] A wake-up call for said component

[0050] A combination of the above events.

[0051] In at least one embodiment, said activation, or said deactivation, is a function of at least the current value of said parameter, and said current value of said parameter is a value measured and / or calculated from data measured on said network. In at least one embodiment, said activation, or said deactivation, is a function of at least the current value of said parameter, and said current value of said parameter is an estimated value.

[0052] According to at least one embodiment, said current value is estimated by inference from an artificial intelligence model.

[0053] According to at least one embodiment, said component is put into service for a period at least equal to an initial operating period.

[0054] Such an implementation method can ensure a minimum activation time for the first communication channel.

[0055] According to at least one embodiment, said component is taken out of service for a period at least equal to one second operating period.

[0056] Such an implementation can ensure a minimum deactivation time for the first communication channel.

[0057] According to at least one embodiment, said second operating time is less than said first operating time.

[0058] For example, the first duration could be on the order of several milliseconds and the second duration could be on the order of several seconds.

[0059] According to at least one embodiment, a decrease in the value of said parameter is representative of an increase in the quality of service of said access point and said activation is implemented when said current value of said parameter is less than a first value for at least a third operating time.

[0060] According to at least one embodiment, a decrease in the value of said parameter is representative of an increase in the quality of service of said access point and said deactivation is implemented when said current value of said parameter is greater than a second value (identical or different from the first value introduced above, according to the embodiments) for at least a fourth operating time.

[0061] Such modes of implementation can help to avoid "bagotages" (repeated activations and deactivations close in time).

[0062] According to at least one embodiment, a current value of said parameter is calculated, for said at least one first radio communication channel of said access point, for at least one second communication device of said communication network and said activation, respectively said deactivation, takes into account the current value of said parameter for said at least one second communication device of said communication network.

[0063] The second piece of equipment could, for example, be a repeater (or router), or even a user device.

[0064] According to at least one embodiment, said activation, or said deactivation, takes into account the communication capabilities of at least one piece of equipment present on said communication network.

[0065] This equipment present on the network could be, for example, the first and / or second equipment already introduced, or a third-party piece of equipment.

[0066] Thus, according to at least one embodiment, said parameter relating to a quality of service belongs to a group comprising:

[0067] - a Round Trip Delay duration between the sending of a data packet by the first equipment, via the first access point, and the reception of said data packet by the first access point;

[0068] - a proportion of data packets lost or altered during a transmission, via said at least one first radio communication channel, between said first access point and said first communication equipment.

[0069] - a difference between the Round Trip Delay durations of at least two data packets transmitted consecutively by said first access point, via said first communication channel, to said first communication equipment,

[0070] - a fluctuation, for several consecutive packets, of a difference between: o a time interval between respective times of transmission via said first communication channel, of two consecutive data packets by said first access point and o a time interval between respective times of reception, via said first communication channel, by the access point, of said two consecutive packets transmitted;

[0071] - an average value of the Round Trip Delay durations over a first time interval;

[0072] - a parameter derived from at least two of the parameters above.

[0073] In at least one embodiment, the current value of the parameter is a value measured and / or calculated from data measured on the first network. In at least one embodiment, the current value of the parameter is an estimated value.

[0074] According to at least one embodiment, a current value of said parameter is calculated, for said first radio communication channel of said access point, for at least one second communication device of said first communication network and said activation, respectively said deactivation, takes into account the current value of said parameter for said at least one second communication device of said first communication network.

[0075] According to at least one embodiment, said activation, or said deactivation, takes into account the communication capabilities of at least one piece of equipment present on said first communication network.

[0076] The characteristics, presented individually in this application in connection with certain embodiments of the control process, can be combined with each other according to other embodiments of this process.

[0077] In another aspect, the present application also relates to an electronic device adapted to implement the process of the present application in any of its embodiments.

[0078] For example, the present application thus relates to an electronic device comprising at least one configured processor, for controlling at least one first access point to at least one communication network via at least one first radio communication channel, for: activating and / or deactivating at least one of said first radio communication channel as a function of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for at least one first communication device of said at least one communication network.

[0079] For example, the present application relates to an electronic device comprising at least one configured processor, for controlling at least one first radio communication channel between at least one communication device of a first communication network and at least one first access point to at least one second communication network, for: activating and / or deactivating at least one of said first radio communication channel based on at least one current value of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for said at least one first communication device,said first communication network being accessible via said at least one first radio communication channel and via at least one second radio communication channel, and said at least one first and second radio communication channels operating in distinct radio frequency bands.

[0080] This device, capable of implementing the process described in this application in all its embodiments, may, for example, be a device comprising at least one access point (e.g., a Wi-Fi access point or a cellular network base station). It may also be a device controlling (remotely, for example) at least one access point of at least one third-party device.

[0081] This application also relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the various embodiments of the above process, when the program is executed by a processor and a recording medium readable by an electronic device and on which the computer program is recorded.

[0082] For example, the present application relates to a computer program comprising instructions for the implementation, when the program is executed by a processor of an electronic device, of a method for controlling at least one first access point to at least one communication network via at least one first radio communication channel, said method comprising an activation and / or deactivation of at least one of said first radio communication channel as a function of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for at least one first communication device of said at least one communication network.

[0083] For example, the present application relates to a computer program comprising instructions for the implementation, when the program is executed by a processor of an electronic device, of a method for controlling at least one first radio communication channel between at least one communication device of a first communication network and at least one first access point to at least one second communication network, said method comprising activating and / or deactivating at least one of said first radio communication channel as a function of at least one current value of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for said at least one first communication device,said first communication network being accessible via said at least one first radio communication channel and via at least one second radio communication channel, and said at least one first and second radio communication channels operating in distinct radio frequency bands.

[0084] For example, the present application also relates to a processor-readable recording medium of an electronic device on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for the implementation, when the program is executed by the processor, of a method for controlling at least one first access point to at least one communication network via at least one first radio communication channel, said method comprising an activation and / or deactivation of at least one of said first radio communication channel as a function of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for at least one first communication device of said at least one communication network.

[0085] For example, the present application also relates to a processor-readable recording medium of an electronic device on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for the implementation, when the program is executed by the processor, of a method for controlling at least a first radio communication channel between at least a first communication device of a first communication network and at least a first access point to at least a second communication network, said method comprising activating and / or deactivating at least one of said first radio communication channel as a function of at least one current value of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for said at least one first communication device,said first communication network being accessible via said at least one first radio communication channel and via at least one second radio communication channel, and said at least one first and second radio communication channels operating in distinct radio frequency bands.

[0086] The programs mentioned above may use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or code intermediate between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0087] The recording (or information) media referred to in this application may be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, a medium may include a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or a magnetic recording means.

[0088] Such a storage medium could be, for example, a hard drive, flash memory, etc. Furthermore, an information carrier could be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by radio, or by other means. A program according to the invention can, in particular, be downloaded via an internet-type network or via Bluetooth ©.

[0089] Alternatively, an information (or recording) medium may be an integrated circuit in which a program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of any of the embodiments of the process which is the subject of this patent application.

[0090] In general, obtaining an element means in this application, for example, receiving that element from a communication network, acquiring that element (via, for example, user interface elements or sensors), creating that element by various processing means such as copying, encoding, decoding, transformation, etc., and / or accessing that element from a local or remote storage medium accessible to at least one device implementing, at least partially, that obtaining.

[0091] 4. Brief description of the drawings

[0092] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following description of particular embodiments, given by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting examples, and the accompanying drawings, among which:

[0093] Figure 1 presents a simplified view of a system, cited as an example, in which at least some embodiments of the process of the present application can be implemented.

[0094] Figure 2 presents a simplified view of a device adapted to implement at least some embodiments of the process described in this application.

[0095] Figure 3 presents an overview of the process for controlling this application, in some of its embodiments.

[0096] Figure 4 presents two confusion matrices illustrating the results of an experiment.

[0097] 5. Description of the implementation methods

[0098] This application aims to control the activation of at least one access point to a wireless communication network, on at least one radio frequency communication channel, in order to limit the energy consumption of that access point, while striving to provide an acceptable quality of service to the equipment using that at least one access point to the communication network. This could be a multi-band access point, whose activity is to be limited (at least temporarily) to a restricted number of frequency bands, with at least one frequency band being rendered (temporarily) inactive, or a single-band access point, which is to be shut down (at least temporarily), while other access point(s) may remain activated (within the same device or on separate devices located close to each other, for example).

[0099] The number of frequency bands (or radio frequency communication channels) controlled and the number of frequency bands that can be deactivated at the same time may vary depending on the embodiment and in particular on the constraints of the user equipment of this or these access point(s), in terms of energy savings, simplicity, quality of service and / or network reliability.

[0100] Thus, unlike some prior art solutions, the present application proposes to rely, not on the throughput or radio occupancy of radio frequency channels, as perceived by the access points, but on an assessment of the quality of service, as felt by the equipment using the access points, for the control of these access points.

[0101] According to this application, the activation (or deactivation) of a radio frequency channel of an access point is controlled by switching on (or off) at least one component whose operation is necessary for the access point to function in at least one radio frequency communication channel. Switching on / off may, for example, involve a component used specifically for the access point to function in the at least one radio frequency communication channel in question.

[0102] For example, in the case of a Wi-Fi access point, such components might include, among others, a specialized integrated circuit, also called a Wi-Fi chipset, an amplifier and / or filtering module, and / or one or more antennas. Some of these components (such as an antenna) might be specific to a frequency band for a multi-band access point. Similar components might be required for the operation of a cellular network access point. These components might be activated or deactivated when the method described in this application is used to control that cellular network access point.

[0103] When a communication channel is disabled (for example, by switching off the corresponding antennas on the access point), network traffic can automatically focus on the other available communication channel(s).

[0104] For example, in the case of a dual-band Wi-Fi access point, when one Wi-Fi frequency band becomes unavailable, the access point and the equipment connected to that access point can automatically adapt by concentrating (and switching if necessary) their traffic on the remaining available frequency band.

[0105] Conversely, when a communication channel is activated (for example, by putting the corresponding antennas on the access point into service), network traffic is distributed across the available communication channels, depending on the technologies of the access point and the equipment using the access point.

[0106] For example, in the case of a dual-band Wi-Fi access point, when both frequency bands become available, connected stations automatically adapt by switching (or not) their traffic to the newly available frequency band, depending on their respective generation of Wi-Fi technology.

[0107] By "automatic" failover, we mean a switchover of network traffic of a communication device (such as a Wi-Fi client station) from one radio communication channel to another without involving voluntary intervention by the user of the device in this regard, once certain prerequisites (similar to initial configuration) have possibly been carried out.

[0108] The present application is now described in more detail with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 represents a telecommunications system 100 in which certain embodiments of the invention can be implemented. The system 100 comprises electronic equipment using a wireless communication network 180, such as a local area network (LAN) and / or a wide area network (WAN). For example, it could be a corporate or home LAN and / or an internet-type WAN, or a cellular network, a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) network, a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) network, a Wi-Fi network, etc.

[0109] The wireless network can, in particular, enable communication via at least two distinct communication channels, corresponding to different frequency bands (for example, non-contiguous frequency bands). This could be, for example, a network using a standard wireless transmission technology, such as an IEEE 802.11 standard (such as IEEE 802.1lax, also known as Wi-Fi 6), allowing communication in at least two frequency bands. In the case of the IEEE 802.1lax standard, for example, two frequency bands can be used: one frequency band around 5 GHz and another frequency band around 2.4 GHz (referred to as the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band, respectively). However, the invention also applies to devices based on other versions of the IEEE 802.11 standards, particularly those allowing the use of at least two distinct frequency bands.The invention also applies to any wireless technology other than Wi-Fi that allows the use of at least two distinct radio communication channels, such as the radio technologies of 4G, 5G, or 6 GHz cellular networks. The wireless network can thus be, for example, a cellular network (using 4G, 5G, or 6G technology, in particular), using frequency bands such as 800, 900 MHz, 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz, and / or 2.6 GHz.

[0110] The electronic devices of the wireless network 180 can vary depending on the embodiment. For example, the wireless network may include several electronic devices, such as user equipment (like a terminal 110 (such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet), a connected object 120, 130 (a television, refrigerator, thermostat, or watch, for example), a set-top box (STB)) or other communication equipment such as a repeater (or router) 140, and / or a monitoring device 150, and / or a storage device 160. The network may also include devices dedicated to collecting data used by the process of this application.System 100 may also include network management and / or interconnection elements such as a gateway 170 (or gateway in English terminology) interconnecting the communication network 180 with another communication network 190 (for example, for access to a remote storage element 192 or a remote application server 194). Some electronic equipment 140, 150, 170 of system 100 may be equipped with at least one access point 144, 172, 174, 176 to the network 180. Depending on the embodiment, these may be multi-band access point(s), operating in at least two frequency bands, or single-band access point(s), operating in a single frequency band (Fri, Fr2, or Fr3 in the illustrated example). Of course, the 100 system can include in certain embodiments both at least one single-band access point and at least one multi-band access point.

[0111] Of course, at least some of these devices can be optional. This is particularly true for collection and monitoring devices. Indeed, data collection and / or monitoring can, for example, be carried out by devices equipped with access point(s) themselves, such as gateway 170 and / or repeater 140 (or monitoring device 150 if it exists), or by equipment using some of these access points (such as the 110, 120, 130, and 140 devices already introduced).

[0112] Some 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 of the electronic equipment of system 100 may be equipped with means of communication 112, 114, 122, 124, 132, 142, 152, 154, 156 with at least some of the access points 144, 172, 174, 176 to the network 180. It may for example be equipment 110, 120, 150 equipped with means of communication operating in several frequency bands or equipment 130, 140 equipped with means of communication operating in a single frequency band.

[0113] Figure 2 illustrates a simplified structure of an electronic device 200, such as certain 140, 150, 170 of the electronic equipment of system 100, adapted to implement the principles of this application. Thus, in the illustrated example, device 200 could be, for example, an interconnection gateway 170 or a repeater 140. It could also be a monitoring device 150, remotely controlling the activation of at least one radio frequency channel of at least one access point of one of the electronic equipment 140, 170 of system 100. This monitoring device could be a device dedicated to controlling the activation of radio frequency channels of access point(s) of system 100 (as illustrated) or be itself an access point (for example, one of the access points whose radio frequency channel is to be controlled, or another access point). It can also be a user device from an access point to be controlled (such as a terminal, connected object, etc.)..).

[0114] Device 200 includes, in particular, at least one memory M 210. Device 200 may include, in particular, a buffer memory, volatile memory (e.g., RAM, for "Random Access Memory"), and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM, for "Read Only Memory"). Device 200 may also include a processing unit UT 220, equipped, for example, with at least one processor P 222, and driven by a computer program PG 212 stored in memory M 210. At initialization, the code instructions of the computer program PG are, for example, loaded into RAM before being executed by the processor P.

[0115] Said at least one processor P 222 of the processing unit UT 220 can in particular implement, individually or collectively, any one of the embodiments of the method of the present application (described in particular in relation to Figure 3), according to the instructions of the computer program PG.

[0116] Device 200 includes, or can be coupled to, at least one input / output module 230, 240. Thus, the device includes, or is coupled to, at least one communication module 230, allowing, in the illustrated example, Device 200 to communicate with other equipment in system 100 via wired and / or wireless communication interfaces. For example, the device may include several single-band access points, each using a different frequency band 232, 234, 236 (Fri, Fr2, Fr3 in the example in Figure 2), or a single access point using different frequency bands 232, 234, 236 (Fri, Fr2, Fr3 in the example in Figure 2), or at least one single-band access point and / or at least one dual-band access point.

[0117] Device 200 may also include, or be coupled to, at least one other input / output module 240, such as a user interface module for Device 200 (also referred to more simply in this application as a "user interface").

[0118] The device user interface is understood to mean, for example, an interface integrated into the device 200, or part of a third-party device connected to that device by wired or wireless means (for example, by the wireless means described above). For example, it could be a secondary display of the device or a set of speakers connected wirelessly to the device.

[0119] A user interface can notably be an "output" user interface adapted for rendering (or controlling rendering) an output element of a computer application used by the device 200, for example an application running at least partially on the device 200 or an "online" application running at least partially remotely, for example on the server 194 of the system 100. Examples of output user interfaces of the device include one or more screens, including at least one graphics screen (touchscreen for example), one or more speakers, a connected headset.

[0120] By rendering, we mean here a display (or "output" according to English terminology) on at least one user interface, in any form, for example including text, audio and / or video components, or a combination of such components.

[0121] Furthermore, a user interface can be a user interface, called an "input" user interface, adapted to acquiring a command from a user of device 200. This may include an action to be performed in connection with a returned item, and / or a command to be sent to a computer application used by device 200, for example an application running at least partially on device 200 or an "online" application running at least partially remotely, for example on server 194 of system 100, or information (such as a configuration parameter) to be saved in a file.Examples of input user interfaces for Device 200 include a sensor, an audio and / or video acquisition means (microphone, camera (webcam), for example), a keyboard, and a mouse. At least one microprocessor of Device 200 can be adapted, in particular, to control at least one first access point to at least one communication network via at least one first radio communication channel. This control includes: enabling and / or disabling at least one of said first radio communication channels based on at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for at least one first communication device of said at least one communication network. Some of the above input / output modules are optional and may therefore be absent from Device 200 in certain embodiments.

[0122] The terms "module," "component," or "element" of the device refer to a hardware element, particularly a wired one, a software element, or a combination of at least one hardware element and at least one software element. The method according to the invention can therefore be implemented in various ways, including wired and / or software-based implementations. Depending on the embodiment, the method can be implemented centrally or distributedly. As noted above, in certain embodiments, the method of the present application can be implemented (centrally) in a device comprising one or more access points operating, as a whole, on different (for example, disjoint) frequency bands to control the activation of at least some of these frequency bands.In other embodiments, the method can be implemented (in a distributed manner) in a monitoring device, controlling the activation of several access points operating, as a whole, on different frequency bands, at least one of these access points being located on a third-party device (other than the monitoring device). Figure 3 illustrates some embodiments of method 300 of this application, where the control of at least one communication channel of at least one access point is a function of at least one current value (actual or estimated) of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service (see below). Method 300 can, for example, be implemented by the electronic device 200 illustrated in Figure 2 (this being, for example, a gateway, a monitoring device, or a repeater).

[0123] As illustrated in Figure 3, the process 300 may include obtaining 320 the current value of at least one parameter relating to the quality of service (QoS) of the access point, with respect to at least one communication device (for example, a user device such as a mobile terminal) connected to that access point via at least one communication channel. This obtaining may be performed several times, for example, periodically. A parameter representative of a quality of service of an access point, with respect to a communication device using a communication channel of that access point, may, for example, be: a time delay (RTD) between the sending, by the access point, via the communication channel in question, of a data packet on the communication network, and the reception, by the access point, of that same packet (sent by the communication device);

[0124] This duration is known as "Round-Trip Delay" (RTD) in English terminology. The lower the RTD, the faster and smoother the communication.

[0125] - a proportion (or percentage) of data packets lost or corrupted during a transmission between the access point and the communication equipment;

[0126] This percentage is known as the "Packet Loss Rate" (PLR). The lower the PLR, the more reliable the transmission.

[0127] - a difference between the RTDs of at least two packets sent consecutively by the access point to the communication equipment;

[0128] - a fluctuation, for several packets, of the difference between the time interval between the respective times of transmission of two consecutive packets by the access point and the time interval between the respective times of reception of these two consecutive packets (transmitted by the user equipment) by the access point;

[0129] This temporal fluctuation (or jitter (also sometimes called "jigue", or "jitter" according to English terminology)) is a parameter that can prove very important for real-time services such as voice and video communications, or for certain video games.

[0130] - an average value of the RTDs over a first time interval;

[0131] - a parameter derived from at least two of the above parameters (for example a combination of at least two of these parameters).

[0132] The parameters described above depend in particular on the characteristics of the network (such as available bandwidth, congestion, noise and / or disturbances in the network), the positioning and characteristics of the devices sending and receiving the packets (mutual distance within the network or from a geographical point of view for example, type and software versions of the processors equipping these devices, etc.).

[0133] In the detailed embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, RTD is used as a parameter representing the quality of service. Other parameters (such as those introduced above, for example) can of course be used (alone or in combination with other parameters like RTD, for example) in other embodiments.

[0134] Depending on the embodiment, the current value of the QoS representative parameter of the access point, as perceived by a communication device (such as a user device), can be obtained differently: in particular, it can be measured dynamically, and / or calculated from data obtained (for example, collected) 322 dynamically, or estimated 324 from data obtained 322 dynamically.

[0135] In embodiments where the representative parameter is the RTD (or depends on the RTD), it can, for example, be measured dynamically, such as by measuring the time between the sending of a specific command (e.g., a "ping" command) to the equipment in question by the access point via a given communication channel (a "probe" type operation). Such an embodiment offers advantages in terms of reliability (since a real measurement is performed).

[0136] The representative parameter can also be obtained by estimation from the data collected by the device. For example, an estimate of the RTD can be implemented after an attempt to dynamically measure the RTD, for instance, when the equipment in question does not respond to the command issued to perform this measurement. In some embodiments, the representative parameter can be estimated systematically (an actual measurement can optionally be performed periodically to verify the reliability of the estimate). Estimating the representative parameter can prevent increasing the energy consumption of the access point or overloading the communication channel due to sending a command specific to this measurement and the expected response to that command.In some embodiments, the representative parameter can be estimated by providing at least some of the collected data to an artificial intelligence model previously trained to predict this representative parameter.

[0137] In such embodiments, prior to or during the implementation of the method described in this application, the artificial intelligence model may be trained to adapt the model to the relevant environment. Such training may include providing the model with input data collected under various operating conditions (for example, in the presence of diverse network traffic), and the value of the representative parameter used, measured under those same operating conditions.

[0138] Examples of data used as input to such a model (for its training and / or inference) include, in embodiments where the representative parameter is the RTD (or depends on the RTD):

[0139] Bandwidth used;

[0140] An occupancy rate of the radio channel in question;

[0141] A packet loss rate (or alternatively, a number of packets lost);

[0142] A packet retransmission rate (or alternatively, a number of packet retransmissions);

[0143] An attenuation rate of a signal emitted by the access point; A power level of a signal emitted by a communication device (such as a user device) and received by the access point antenna (RSSI for Received Signal Strength Indication / indicator);

[0144] Information relating to the sending and / or receiving of data;

[0145] A combination of the above data.

[0146] Such data include, for example: general statistical information on the system; statistical information specific to each radio frequency channel (in terms of occupancy and quality of these channels, amount of upstream or downstream traffic on these channels, channel status); statistical information specific to each piece of equipment connected to a channel (in terms of connection quality and / or amount of upstream or downstream traffic for each piece of equipment).

[0147] This data can, for example, be received in response to commands from the device, these commands being able to use, depending on the embodiment, a format specific to the operating system of the access point in question (such as WU commands specific to the Broadcom operating system), or a format compatible with different operating systems (such as the Prpl © operating system).

[0148] For example, such data can be collected in response to WU commands such as: "wl -i BAND chamin_stats", "wl -i BAND sta_info MAC_ADDRESS", "wl -i BAND counters", "wl -i BAND bss", and / or "wl -i BAND assoclist".

[0149] According to another example, such data can be collected in response to query commands of a data model defined in the Prpl © operating system, such as: "WiFi.Radio.BAND.getRadioStats()", and / or "WiFi.Radio.BAND.getRadioAirStats()", "WiFi.AccessPoint.BAND.AssociatedDevice.INDEX.".

[0150] In some embodiments, the collected data can be formatted ("feature engineering") before being fed into the model during inference. For example, the model might implement a classifier-type machine beaming algorithm. This could include models such as the XGBoost model, the UGBM (for Low Gradient-Boosting Machine), or a decision tree model. It could also be a model based on a multilayer neural network, such as a multilayer perceptron (or MUP). The model can, for example, be used in regression mode (to predict the value of the representative parameter which, when fed into the model as input, results in model output data corresponding to the collected data).

[0151] Using a large number of different input data points helps to obtain a model that provides a reliable estimate of the representative parameter, and therefore a reliable representation of the quality of service offered by the access point (via the radio frequency channel) to the equipment under consideration. Using fewer input data points can increase the simplicity of the model and thus limit processing time and the use of processing resources. Also, in some embodiments, a selection of the model's input data can be made to obtain a "simplified" (or "sparse") model that considers only the most important data points (in terms of their impact on the model's results).

[0152] Once the current value of the parameter representing the quality of service (the RTD in the detailed embodiment) has been obtained for at least one communication device, the method may include a verification that this current value corresponds to an acceptable quality of service. For example, the method may include a comparison of the current value of the parameter to a first constant value, used as a threshold. For example, in the detailed embodiment where the quality of service is evaluated by the current value of the RTD, it may be necessary to verify that the current value of the RTD is indeed less than a first constant value (hereafter denoted RTDmax). This constant value RTDmax may be, for example, a value on the order of one, ten, or a few tens of milliseconds, or a hundred milliseconds such as 1, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 100 ms (for example, 25 ms).It can vary depending on the implementations, for example depending on the type(s) of communication equipment and the type of network (Wi-Fi, cellular, etc.) involved.

[0153] Since the parameter (such as RTD) whose value is being checked represents a quality of service, comparing it to a constant value (RTDmax in our example), which represents an expected quality of service, allows for monitoring the access point's operation and ensuring a certain quality of service (corresponding to an RTD of RTDmax value). This is an advantage over prior art solutions based, for example, on radio channel occupancy, which cannot guarantee a user of communication equipment connecting to the access point the expected quality of service.

[0154] In some embodiments, the representative parameter (such as the RTD) can be obtained (by measurement or evaluation) for each connected communication device and each communication channel used by that device to connect to the access point. In other embodiments, the representative parameter (such as the RTD) can be obtained for a subset of the communication devices connected to the network.

[0155] For example, in some embodiments, the representative parameter (such as the RTD) can be obtained iteratively (e.g., periodically, with a period on the order of a few seconds) for each device connected to the access point. Obtaining the value of the representative parameter for a QoS can be performed, depending on the embodiment, in parallel or sequentially for different devices. The value (constant, for example) of the representative parameter used as a threshold (and representative of a desired QoS) can be set by configuration (pre-configured or dynamic) of the device. It may depend, in particular, on the device against which the access point's quality of service is being evaluated, the technology implemented by the access point, and the type of service (real-time, such as voice, or not) to which the communication between the device and the access point is linked.For example, in some embodiments, different "threshold" values ​​can be used depending on the services to which communications with equipment are linked. Thus, a first RTDmaxl value (for example, 10ms) can be used for communications linked to real-time services, while a second RTDmax2 value (for example, 25ms), higher than RTDmaxl, is used for other services.

[0156] In embodiments implementing communications corresponding to different types of service, each associated with a different threshold value, at the same time, the strictest threshold value in terms of quality of service can be used for all communications. Thus, according to the example above, the RTD Maxl threshold value can be used for all communications of all equipment when at least one of these communications is related to a "real-time" service.

[0157] Depending on the embodiment, the threshold values ​​used may be identical for all equipment with which the access point communicates or depend on the equipment considered and / or the services (real-time or not constraints in particular) offered for this equipment.

[0158] When the current value of the representative parameter corresponds to a quality of service of a communication channel of the access point better than expected for the equipment considered (for example in the detailed embodiment when the current value of RTD is less than the constant value RTDmax), it may be possible to decrease the quality of service offered while still maintaining an acceptable quality of service.

[0159] Also, when for at least one piece of equipment, the current value of the representative parameter corresponds to a better than expected quality of service of the access point (i.e. in the example an RTD lower than the "threshold" value RTDmax), the process 300 may include a limitation 350 of the number of communication channels activated (i.e. active or available) in order to achieve energy savings, by deactivating at least one communication channel, which is currently activated, with network traffic then being shared on the channels that remain activated.

[0160] The limitation may include taking out of service (e.g., putting to sleep and / or shutting down) at least one component used specifically for operation of the access point in at least one radio communication channel (to be disabled).

[0161] In some embodiments, this limitation 350 can be performed when the current value of the representative parameter corresponds to a better than expected quality of service of the access point for all equipment connected to the network (i.e. in our example if for all equipment the RTD is less than the threshold value RTDMax).

[0162] In some embodiments, the 350 limitation can be performed as soon as the current value of the representative parameter corresponds to a better than expected quality of service of the access point for a piece of equipment (i.e. in our example as soon as the RTD is less than the RTDMax threshold value for one of the pieces of equipment).

[0163] In some embodiments, the 350 limitation can be performed as soon as the current value of the representative parameter corresponds to a better than expected quality of service of the access point for n devices (with n an integer > 1) (i.e. in our example if for n devices the RTD is less than the threshold value RTDMax), or when the percentage of devices, for which the current value of the representative parameter corresponds to a better than expected quality of service of the access point, reaches a certain value (for example 30%, or 70%).

[0164] Waiting until the QoS of the access point is better than expected for all equipment connected to the network (i.e., in our example, waiting until the RTD is less than the RTDMax threshold value for all equipment) before implementing a limitation can help provide advantages in terms of network reliability (since we wait to ensure that the quality of service is much higher than expected for all equipment before intentionally "deteriorating" this quality of service).

[0165] Limiting the number of channels as soon as the QoS of the access point is better than expected for a subset of equipment can help save more energy, since the number of channels can, for example, be reduced earlier and more frequently.

[0166] Note that the limitation of the number of activated channels can be performed conditionally (340, 342). The method may, for example, include a check 340 of the current activation state of the channels.

[0167] For example, a minimum number of channels that must remain active (greater than or equal to 1) may be required in certain embodiments. An embodiment in which at least one channel must always be active (even if there is no communication on all channels) will allow the connection of a new device or the initiation of communication from an existing device. In such embodiments, the limitation may only be enforced if the current number of active channels is strictly greater than the minimum number of active channels required.

[0168] In some embodiments, where different activation priorities can be assigned to channels, the check may include selecting a channel to disable (or enable as explained later) based on these priorities.

[0169] In some embodiments, only certain channels can be disabled (while others remain active at all times). For example, in some embodiments where the access point is a Wi-Fi access point operating on multiple frequency bands, the 2.4 GHz band may not be able to be disabled, or alternatively, the 5 GHz band may be disabled first. Indeed, the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band was historically the first frequency band offered in the 802.11x protocol. Therefore, the vast majority of Wi-Fi equipment (e.g., user terminals) is theoretically capable of falling back to the 2.4 GHz band (in other words, the 2.4 GHz band is the base frequency for Wi-Fi).

[0170] Furthermore, since the range of Wi-Fi in the 2.4GHz band is much greater than the range of Wi-Fi in the 5GHz band, devices previously connected in 5GHz should not have any problem reconnecting in 2.4GHz (from a network coverage point of view).

[0171] Furthermore, since the limitation of the number of channels to 350 is carried out during a period of inactivity or low activity of the equipment, the bandwidth available in 2.4GHz, although lower than the bandwidth available with other communication channels (for example in 5Ghz), is a priori sufficient to allow the maintenance of the quality of service from the point of view of the equipment using this access point.

[0172] The process may include, in certain embodiments, a memorization of the current state of each communication channel, or at least of the communication channels that can be deactivated (or conversely activated), so as for example to more easily determine the channels remaining to be deactivated (or on the contrary to be activated as explained below in case of too low QoS).

[0173] Note that in some embodiments, the limitation 350 on the number of active channels, in the event of better-than-expected QoS, can be timed 342. For example, the limitation 350 can be applied only if the QoS remains better than expected (for each device, or for a subset of devices) for a certain duration (i.e., in the detailed example, with an RTD remaining above the RTDmax value for this duration). This time-delay duration can be defined by parameterization (static or dynamic). It can optionally vary depending on the devices to which the QoS relates.

[0174] For example, in some embodiments where the access point is a dual-band Wi-Fi access point, with both bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) commonly enabled, the 350 limitation (e.g., a 5GHz band cutoff) may only be implemented if, for all equipment, the RTD (e.g., simulated) remains below the RTDmax value for a timeout period.

[0175] The timeout duration can vary depending on the implementation. For example, it can range from a few tens of seconds to a few minutes, such as 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes. Implementations where the timeout is timed can prevent very rapid and repeated channel activation and deactivation cycles (channel chatter). Indeed, such cycles can cause premature aging of the access point's electronic components and / or equipment using the access point's radio frequency channel, or disrupt the operation of equipment connected to the access point and the associated communications. Thus, communications can, for example, be paused during each cycle. Furthermore, these cycles can potentially generate transmission delays and / or packet loss (thus negatively impacting QoS when repeated).Finally, these repeated alternations are likely to cause repeated peaks in energy consumption (due to the switching on and / or off of components during shutdowns and / or start-ups), and therefore reduce the energy savings expected from the process of this application.

[0176] We described above an (optional) time delay before limiting the number of active channels (i.e., before at least one channel is deactivated). Similarly, after at least one channel is deactivated, a 352 time delay can (optionally) be activated to prevent the number of active channels from decreasing or increasing too rapidly again, due to QoS instability (more precisely, instability of its representative parameter) for at least one of the devices.

[0177] In the previously introduced example of a dual-band Wi-Fi access point, the timeout after disabling a band (5 GHz, for example) can range from a few seconds to several tens of seconds, such as 5, 10, or 15 seconds. Of course, these values ​​may differ in implementations where the needs of users and / or operators and / or the associated uses are different.

[0178] When, for a device, the current value of the representative parameter corresponds to a lower-than-expected QoS (as in the detailed example where the current RTD is greater than the constant value RTDmax), the procedure may include a 360° check of the number of communication channels already activated. If the number of activated channels is less than the number of channels that the access point can activate simultaneously—that is, if at least one communication channel can still be activated—the procedure may include a 370° activation of at least one previously inactive communication channel. This 370° activation may include, in particular, activating (for example, waking up and / or powering on and / or starting) all the device and / or access point components necessary for the access point to operate via this previously inactive channel.

[0179] For example, when the access point is a Wi-Fi access point operating on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, with only the 2.4GHz band commonly active, the process may include bringing into service at least one component required for the access point to operate in the 5GHz band (but not required for operation in the 2.4GHz frequency band), such as an amplifier connected to an antenna operating in 5GHz, and previously out of service.For example, the process may include accessing an activation state (stored, for instance) of each communication channel, or of communication channels that may not be active (i.e., not yet activated or deactivated), in order to determine at least one channel to activate (i.e., for example, verifying that at least one "inactive" (and therefore activatable) channel remains, based on the stored activation states of the channels, and if several channels are inactive, choosing one to activate from among these inactive channels). The choice of the channel to activate may, in particular, take into account the maximum RTD threshold value associated with that channel, when several channels are activatable, so as to activate a channel for which the current value of the representative parameter corresponds to an acceptable QoS.

[0180] Let's take the example of a Wi-Fi access point operating with three frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz), with only the 2.4 GHz band active. If the RTD (Return Transmission Difference) for one of the devices connected to the access point becomes too high, it's necessary to activate a channel in another frequency band. The choice of which frequency band to activate can be based on the RTD measured in the 2.4 GHz band (assuming that an RTD can be transposed from one frequency band to another). For example, if the RTD measured for the 2.4 GHz band (and higher than the RTDmax of the 2.4 GHz band) is also higher than the RTDmax of the 5 GHz band but lower than the RTDmax of the 6 GHz band, the channel to activate could be the one in the 6 GHz band.

[0181] The choice of channel to activate may also take into account the technology used by the connected equipment and that equipment's ability to connect to one channel or another. In some embodiments, where several communication channels can be activated, the number of activated channels can be increased gradually (for example, in increments of one channel) so as not to abruptly change the quality of service offered by the access point. Such an embodiment can help prevent significant fluctuations in the network's quality of service from the perspective of a user of equipment using the access point in question.

[0182] If all channels are already activated, no channel-specific component necessary for its operation is a priori out of service. Therefore, in such a situation, the procedure may not include any action to activate such components. Alternatively, in the case of a dual-band access point, for example, no identification or verification of the currently activated channel(s) may be performed, as activation is carried out systematically (and without affecting, for example, components that are already active).

[0183] As previously discussed in relation to the deactivation of at least one communication channel, time delays can be optionally implemented in certain embodiments before (not shown) and / or after (element 372 in Figure 3) the activation of a radio channel. This prevents the channel activation state (and in particular the number of active channels) from fluctuating too frequently. A very short or no time delay before channel activation, following the detection of a deterioration in the access point's quality of service (such as an RTD value exceeding the RTDmax value), will allow for better responsiveness to this deterioration and therefore improved network reliability. Conversely, a longer time delay will offer advantages in terms of energy savings and ease of processing, since a very transient disturbance in a radio frequency channel will be ignored.

[0184] A delay after channel activation can help improve network reliability in case of temporary QoS instability.

[0185] With reference to the previously cited examples relating to a dual-band Wi-Fi access point, the time delay after activation of a frequency band (5GHz for example) can be on the order of a few minutes (for example 1, 5, or 10 minutes)

[0186] In some embodiments (such as the detailed embodiment), the time delays before deactivation, respectively after activation, may be longer than the time delays before activation, respectively after deactivation, in order to prioritize network reliability (in terms of quality of service) over expected energy savings.

[0187] In other embodiments (for example, when the services offered via these access points are not critical), the timeout periods before deactivation can be of the same order of magnitude, or even shorter, than the timeout periods before activation, in order to prioritize energy consumption control. The use of timeouts, as well as their respective durations, can in some cases be defined (for example, by parameter 310), depending on the needs and / or objectives of the users of the equipment likely to connect to the access point (particularly in terms of criticality and / or real-time constraints of the services running on these devices and / or energy savings).

[0188] This process can be implemented iteratively.

[0189] Note that the values ​​used as thresholds for the parameter representing a quality of service (for example RTDmax) as well as the time delays mentioned may vary according to the embodiments and in particular according to the equipment connected to the access point via the radio frequency channel considered or according to the services offered by the access point (and in particular the criticality of these services) via the radio frequency channel considered.

[0190] In some embodiments, the method may include obtaining descriptive information about the communication capabilities of at least one piece of network equipment. For example, this information may be obtained by reading a local or remote storage area (for example, a storage element as illustrated by elements 160, 192 in Figure 1), and / or a database provided by a manufacturer of one of the network equipment pieces, and / or by an operator providing a device 200 implementing the method of this application, and / or an application intended to run on this device 200 to implement the method of this application.

[0191] This can be achieved during a 310 initialization (including parameterization for example) of the application implementing the process of this application), and / or dynamically, after its start-up, upon detection of the presence of a new piece of equipment on the network.

[0192] Descriptive information on the communication capabilities of equipment in the network can be used, in particular, when limiting the number of active communication channels or activating a communication channel.

[0193] For example, the limitation may include a selection of a communication channel to be deactivated taking into account this descriptive information, so that a channel is only deactivated if all the equipment on the network has the ability to communicate via another communication channel that is already active (i.e. activated).

[0194] Such an embodiment can, for example, in the case of a dual-band Wi-Fi access point, allow the 2.4 GHz band to be deactivated and not the 5 GHz frequency band when all network equipment can operate on the 5 GHz frequency band but some equipment (for example a Wi-Fi repeater) only operates in the 5 GHz frequency band.

[0195] The value of the parameter representing a QoS is obtained (calculated, and / or measured, and / or estimated) for a communication channel from the data collected in the system 100 (via the access point(s) for example).

[0196] The data collection frequency may vary depending on the embodiment. In particular, immediately after the activation of a radio frequency channel, obtaining the value of the QoS representative parameter for that channel may rely on data collected at least partially before the channel's activation and relating to at least one other already active communication channel. Similarly, immediately after the deactivation of a first radio frequency channel, obtaining the value of the QoS representative parameter for a second channel may rely on data collected at least partially for the first channel before its deactivation. In this case, obtaining the current value of the QoS representative parameter for a channel may involve transposing the value of the data previously collected for another channel.

[0197] For example, in the above-mentioned case of a dual-band Wi-Fi access point, where QoS is represented by the RTD, after disabling the 5 GHz frequency band, it may be necessary to evaluate the RTD for equipment using the access point's 2.4 GHz radio frequency channel by translating data related to the 5 GHz frequency band into data related to the 2.4 GHz frequency band. This transposition may be optional in some embodiments, at least for some of the collected data, or for certain activations / deactivations (example to be integrated). Thus, in the already cited example of a dual-band Wi-Fi access point, we can, for example, assume that the RSSI measured on the 5GHz band will be close to that which would have been measured on the 2.4GHz band, and / or consider the transmission error rates and retransmissions measured in 5GHz as identical to those which would have been measured on the 2.4GHz band.Figure 3 illustrates some embodiments of process 300 of this application, where the control of at least one communication channel of at least one access point is a function of at least one current value of the parameter relating to a quality of service, the artificial intelligence model described in connection with Figure 3 being used in regression mode to predict an RTD from the collected data.

[0198] Alternatively, the control process can take into account a result provided by the inference of an artificial intelligence model whose learning was based on real values ​​of said parameter relating to a quality of service. For example, this could be the class assigned by a classifier-type artificial intelligence model, allowing a classification between a first and a second class of the collected data (data similar to those described in connection with Figure 3 for example), this classification being learned, during the model training, based on a set of real values ​​of the RTD, the first class ("deactivation", being associated with an RTD value lower than the previously introduced RTDmax threshold value, the second class ("activation") being associated with an RTD value higher than the previously introduced RTDmax threshold value).

[0199] In such an embodiment, the QoS test 330 of the process can be performed, not by comparing the current value of the RTD with the maximum RTD threshold value, but by testing the current class obtained at the output of the classifier.

[0200] The artificial intelligence model can be similar to that used according to Figure 3, but be used, no longer in regression mode (to predict the current value of the representative parameter), but in classification mode in order to predict, from the collected data, the associated class (therefore, due to the learning carried out, in order to predict a class corresponding to a value of the representative parameter less than a threshold value or a class corresponding to a value of the representative parameter greater than a threshold value).

[0201] Further on, we will detail, as an example, the learning of such a model during an experiment.

[0202] An embodiment in which the model is used in regression mode to predict the representative parameter can offer, at least in some embodiments, certain advantages in terms of flexibility. Indeed, it may be possible to easily vary the value of the parameter used as a threshold to activate or deactivate a frequency band. There is no need to load a new model into the device; only a new parameterization is required. Such an embodiment also allows for different threshold values ​​for the parameter depending on the communication channel (as explained above).

[0203] An embodiment in which the model is used in classification mode can contribute to achieving, in certain environments, better performance in terms of energy saving than that obtained when using the model in regression mode (as the inventors have experienced).

[0204] This method can help to limit the energy consumption of at least one access point to a communication network.

[0205] For example, some implementations where the access points are dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) access points of a Wi-Fi router in a home Wi-Fi network can result, for a typical household, in an expected 5 GHz interface outage of several additional hours per day (sometimes more than 12 hours) compared to existing solutions based on throughput measurement. Such an outage can represent a few watt-hours of energy savings. On a national scale, often with millions of routers, the savings in the amount of energy consumed by these routers can be significant (on the order of several million watt-hours, for example).

[0206] Examples using separate (non-contiguous) frequency bands have been detailed above. The present request is not limited, of course, to non-contiguous frequency bands. Thus, in some embodiments, at least two of the frequency bands may be contiguous (their combination forming a non-discontinuous frequency band).

[0207] 6. Experimentation

[0208] Presented here are the results of an experiment aimed at evaluating the interest of the process of this application.

[0209] For this evaluation, the system comprises three user devices connected to a dual-band Wi-Fi access point (UiveBox), capable of operating in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The method described in this application is implemented by a monitoring device directly connected via Ethernet to the access point. Data retrieval scripts run on the monitoring device to collect data useful for training the artificial intelligence model used, via WE commands issued every 5 seconds. The representative QoS parameter of the access point for each connected user device is chosen for this evaluation as the RTD (Return Transmission Difference). In the example presented, the RTD is measured using the performance measurement tool "SmokePing" ©.

[0210] Training data collection and RTD measurements are performed with a wide variety of traffic combinations, to and from user equipment, to obtain measurements under varying operating conditions, in terms of connection quality as well as received and transmitted power. For example, measurements were taken by varying (from 1 to 3) the number of user devices connected to the access point. The position of the user devices relative to the access point was also varied during these measurements. Furthermore, several measurement campaigns were conducted in environments with varying levels of interference.The monitoring device periodically collects (every 5 seconds) data from the access point, by executing "WL" commands on the access point via a Telnet connection (commands "wl -i BAND chamin_stats", "wl -i BAND sta_info MAC_ADDRESS" and "wl -i BAND counters").

[0211] The data collected (to feed the artificial intelligence model, among other things) relates to the status of the access point's Wi-Fi interfaces and the connection quality of each user device connected to the access point. For example, the data used (directly or indirectly) for the model, for the command `wl -i BAND sta info MAC_ADDRESS`, are the following parameters: `idle`: percentage of time in idle mode; `tx total pkts`: total packets sent; `tx total bytes`: total bytes sent; `tx failures`: transmission failures; `rx data pkts`: total packets received; `rx data bytes`: total bytes received.

[0212] Smooth RSSI: attenuation of the wifi signal.

[0213] According to another example, the data used (directly or indirectly) for the model are, for the command wl -i BAND counters, the parameters: txframe: total of frames sent by the interface. txbyte: total of bytes sent by the interface, rxframe: total of frames received on the interface, rxbyte: total of bytes received on the interface.

[0214] (Of course, other commands and / or other parameters of these commands can be used for data collection depending on the embodiments).

[0215] During data collection, the monitoring system generates independent traffic streams to and from the devices connected to the access point. These traffic streams are defined (in terms of throughput, for example) in a configuration file (such as a YAML file) and have a duration of 10 seconds. Thus, every 10 seconds, a new stream is used for each device. Random files are transferred, at the command of the monitoring system, to and from the devices to generate this traffic. The use of random streams allows for the simulation of certain real-world scenarios.

[0216] In the detailed example, the traffic was generated using normal distribution aggregation. The protocol used for transfer commands could be, for example, the protocol known as SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) or the protocol known as SCP (Secure Copy Protocol), depending on the equipment involved.

[0217] Under the evaluation conditions, data throughput can vary from 0 Mbps to 150 Mbps, with the cumulative traffic for all connected devices not exceeding 250 Mbps when all devices are generating traffic simultaneously. Most of the traffic is observed to be below 12 Mbps, which corresponds to 75% of the maximum throughput.

[0218] To measure RTD, the Smokeping© tool runs on the monitoring device. The tool sends a series of test packets across the network and calculates an average RTD value over a given time interval, based on the time between the transmission of these packets to their recipients and their return receipt by the sender. Thus, every 2 seconds, series of 10 packets are transmitted (with 20 ms between each packet). These measurements also allow for the measurement of jitter.

[0219] The collected data are associated with the measured values ​​of the RTD and PLR over corresponding time periods (e.g., every 5 seconds). Other data derived from these collected data are also associated with them (such as statistical data like moving averages of certain indicators, and / or values ​​with a time lag).

[0220] Numerous artificial intelligence models were tested, using regression or classification, during the evaluation. The quality indicator chosen (to evaluate these models) was, in the case where the model was used according to a regression algorithm, the root mean squared error (RMSE). In the case where the model was used according to a classification algorithm, the indicator chosen was the indicator known as the Fl score, which is expressed as: [Math. 1]

[0221] TP

[0222] Fl = - 5-— -

[0223] TP+ - (FP + FN)

[0224] Or :

[0225] TP represents the number of “true positives” (“True Positive” in English);

[0226] TN represents the number of “true negatives”; FP represents the number of “false positives”; FN represents the number of “false negatives”; The F1 score can indeed be particularly effective in evaluating the performance of a model, especially in the case of unbalanced classes.

[0227] Other indicators have been used to qualify prediction models, for example the indicators known as Receiver operating characteristic (ROC)- Area under the curve (AUC), Accuracy, Precision, Recall, Error rate, score F0.5, score F2), where Accuracy represents the total proportion of correct predictions (true positives + true negatives) relative to the total number of samples.

[0228] Error (Erreur en français): represents the total proportion of incorrect predictions (false positives + false negatives) relative to the total number of samples.

[0229] Precision (Precision): represents the proportion of true positives among the cases predicted as positive.

[0230] Recall (Recall in French): represents the proportion of true positives among the actually positive cases.

[0231] F2 Score (or Score F2): represents the harmonic mean which gives more weight to recall than to accuracy.

[0232] The previously introduced Fl score represents the harmonic mean between accuracy and recall. FO.5 Score (or FO.5 Score) represents the harmonic mean that gives more weight to accuracy than to recall.

[0233] The evaluation of the artificial intelligence models was based on a comparison of the indicators used for these algorithms, employing Kfold Cross Validation methods. For each of the tested algorithms, several optimizations of the AI ​​models were implemented. These optimizations focused on model weights, scaling certain types of input data (features), and determining the most relevant types of input data (using AI model optimization algorithms such as Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE), Recursive Feature Addition (RFA), or methods like Select Kbest, Lasso, and / or Boruta). Internal parameter optimization of the tested models was also performed using OPTUNA© and / or BayesSearchCV©.

[0234] In the end, the LGBM and XGBoost models achieved the best results during the evaluation once optimized using the Bayesian Search © tool (with Fl scores of over 81%) and the RFE algorithm.

[0235] A comparison of the results obtained in the evaluation environment is presented below. These results were obtained using a prior art method for controlling the activation (and deactivation) of the 5 GHz radio frequency channel based on the occupied bandwidth of the communication channels, and the XGBoost_C model used as a classifier. The evaluation dataset consists of the collected data, along with the calculated bandwidths, the corresponding measured RTDs, and a class (activation, deactivation) obtained by comparing the measured RTD to the RTDmax threshold value (here, 25 ms). This evaluation data is divided into two sets: the first set (training data) is used to train the artificial intelligence model used by the method described in this application, and the second set (test data) is used to verify the model's accuracy at the end of the training period.The first batch is used to teach the artificial intelligence model to predict a class based on the corresponding collected data.

[0236] The second batch is used on the one hand to test the relevance of the artificial intelligence model and on the other hand to compare the prior art method and the model, after its training.

[0237] According to the bandwidth-based method, deactivation is implemented when the bandwidth is less than 1 Mbps and activation is implemented when the bandwidth is greater than 2 Mbps. This results in a series of activation / deactivation cycles starting from the second batch of evaluation data.

[0238] Furthermore, by providing data from the first batch (respectively from the second batch) as input to the learned artificial intelligence model, we obtain a series of activations / deactivations.

[0239] Next, for the bandwidth-based method, we compare on the one hand the activation / deactivation series obtained as a function of bandwidth and on the other hand the activation / deactivation series obtained from the measured RTDs (considered as the true results).

[0240] For the artificial intelligence model, we compare the activation / deactivation sequences obtained at the model output for the measured RTDs and the predicted RTDs. Table 1 below presents these results, using various performance indicators (including the Fl score and the ROC AUC indicator mentioned above).

[0241] [Table 1]

[0242] Or :

[0243] TP_% (Percentage of True Positives): proportion of true positives relative to the total number of positive cases.

[0244] TN_% (Percentage of True Negatives): proportion of true negatives relative to the total number of negative cases.

[0245] FP_% (Percentage of False Positives): proportion of false positives relative to the total number of negative cases.

[0246] FN_% (Percentage of False Negatives): proportion of false negatives relative to the total number of positive cases.

[0247] FPR (False Positive Rate): proportion of false positives among negative cases.

[0248] FNR (False Negative Rate): proportion of false negatives among positive cases.

[0249] The results are illustrated graphically in binary classification confusion matrices (0 = deactivation (“negative”), 1 = activation (positive)) shown in Figure 4 (confusion matrix 410 relating to the bandwidth-based method and confusion matrix 420 relating to the artificial intelligence model).

[0250] On these matrices, the number of activations (act) and deactivations (des) measured (or calculated) is found on the ordinate (tr) and the number of activations (act) and deactivations (des) predicted are found on the abscissa.

[0251] TN (True Negatives) (412, 422) here corresponds to the number of cases where the model correctly predicted the "deactivation" class.

[0252] FP (False Positives) (414, 424) here corresponds to the number of cases where the model predicted the "activation" class when it was the "deactivation" class.

[0253] FN (False Negatives) (416, 426) here corresponds to the number of cases where the model predicted the "deactivation" class when it was the "activation" class.

[0254] TP (True Positives) (418, 428) here corresponds to the number of cases where the model correctly predicted the "activation" class. In general, a good model will have a high number of TP (418, 428) and TN (412, 422), and a low number of FP (414, 424) and FN (416, 426) (like the confusion matrix 420 of the model used by the process of this application).

[0255] We can see that, according to its 410 confusion matrix, the bandwidth-based model has limited accuracy. The 410 confusion matrix highlights anomalous behavior, with a tendency to almost continuously activate the 5 GHz frequency band. Consequently, we can conclude that this model is inefficient.

[0256] Furthermore, the AUC indicator is close to 0.5, which indicates that the algorithm does not offer significantly better performance than a random choice.

[0257] On the contrary, for the XGBoost_C model, the important indicators (accuracy, recall, Fl score) are close to 88% and the AUC is greater than 91%.

[0258] It is therefore clear that the application's method, when using an XGBoost C model, is significantly more efficient than the prior art method in the evaluation environment. Furthermore, it is also noted that, according to the ROC_ and Accuracy curves corresponding to the model used by the application's method, the AUC is 0.9142: This indicates that the model has an excellent ability to distinguish between positive and negative classes. (An AUC greater than 0.9 is generally considered very good).

[0259] In summary, the results show that the "XGBoost_C" model performs well and accurately classifies positive and negative instances, which is particularly important in applications where classification errors can have significant consequences. Table 2 below presents the 5GHz channel activation time percentages for the bandwidth-based method and the artificial intelligence model.

[0260] [Table 2]

[0261] These percentages highlight the significant energy savings that the process covered by this application can achieve compared to certain prior art solutions.

[0262] Thus, under favorable traffic conditions, the method described in this application activates the 5 GHz channel approximately 3% of the time, while the bandwidth-based method activates it almost 96% of the time (32 times more). The bandwidth-based method activates the 5 GHz Wi-Fi channel 32.3 times more often under good traffic conditions (low traffic), 7.1 times more often under high traffic, and 1.5 times more often under very high traffic, respectively, than the method described in this application.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. A method for controlling at least one first radio communication channel between at least one first communication device of a first communication network and at least one first access point to at least one second communication network, said method comprising activating and / or deactivating at least one of said first radio communication channel as a function of at least one current value of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for said at least one first communication device, said first communication network being accessible via said at least one first radio communication channel and via at least one second radio communication channel and said at least one first and second radio communication channels operating in distinct radio frequency bands.

2. Control method according to claim 1 wherein the method comprises, during said activation, respectively of said deactivation, a commissioning, respectively a decommissioning, of at least a first electronic component essential to the operation of said at least a first access point via said at least a first radio communication channel.

3. Control method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said at least one current value is an estimated value of said at least one parameter.

4. Control method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said at least one current value is an actual value of said at least one parameter.

5. Control method according to any one of claims 1 to 43, wherein said activation, respectively said deactivation, is a function of a result provided by an inference of an artificial intelligence model whose learning was based on real values ​​of said at least one parameter.

6. Control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said at least one first radio communication channel and said at least one second radio communication channel operate in disjoint radio frequency bands.

7. A control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said parameter relating to a quality of service belongs to a group comprising: - a Round Trip Delay duration between the sending of a data packet by the first equipment, via the first access point, and the reception of said data packet by the first access point; - a proportion of data packets lost or altered during a transmission, via said at least one first radio communication channel, between said first access point and said first communication equipment. - a difference between the Round Trip Delay durations of at least two data packets transmitted consecutively by said first access point, via said first communication channel, to said first communication equipment, - a fluctuation, for several consecutive packets, of a difference between: ■ a time interval between the respective times of transmission, via said first communication channel, of two consecutive data packets by said first access point and ■ a time interval between respective moments of reception, via said first communication channel, by the access point, of said two consecutive packets transmitted; - an average value of the Round Trip Delay durations over a first time interval; - a parameter derived from at least two of the parameters above.

8. Control method according to at least claims 1 to 7 wherein said current value of said parameter is a value measured and / or calculated from data measured on said first network.

9. Control method according to at least one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said activation, respectively said deactivation, wherein said current value of said parameter is an estimated value.

10. Control method according to claim 9 wherein said current value is estimated by inference from an artificial intelligence model.

11. A control method according to at least one of claims 2 to 10 wherein said component is put into service for a period at least equal to a first operating period.

12. A test method according to at least one of claims 2 to 11 wherein said component is taken out of service for a period at least equal to one second operating period.

13. Control method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein a current value of said parameter is calculated, for said first radio communication channel of said access point, for at least one second communication device of said communication network and wherein said activation, respectively said deactivation, takes into account the current value of said parameter for said at least one second communication device of said communication network.

14. Control method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein said activation, respectively said deactivation, takes into account the communication capabilities of at least one piece of equipment present on said communication network.

15. Electronic device comprising at least one configured processor, for controlling at least a first radio communication channel between at least a first communication device of a first communication network and at least a first access point to at least a second communication network, for: an activation and / or deactivation of at least one of said first radio communication channel based on at least one current value of at least one parameter relating to a quality of service of said at least one first access point for said first radio communication channel for said at least one first communication equipment, said first communication network being accessible via said at least one first radio communication channel and via at least one second radio communication channel and said at least one first and second radio communication channels operating in separate radio frequency bands.

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