Roaming management method and apparatus, and device and system

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of optical communications. Provided are a roaming management method and apparatus, and a device and a system. The method comprises: when a station is still accessing a first access point during roaming, an OLT being responsible for determining an access point to be accessed by the station, and the station accessing the access point to be accessed. In this way, a station can obtain, while still accessing a first access point, an access point to be accessed, instead of determining the access point to be accessed only after the station is disconnected from the first access point, thereby enabling fast roaming to the access point to be accessed, shortening the network interruption time, and thus improving the network experience of users.

Description

Methods, devices, equipment and systems for roaming management

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application filed on October 24, 2024, with application number 202411500352.3, entitled "Method, Apparatus, Device and System for Roaming Management", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, device and system for roaming management. Background Technology

[0003] In wireless access scenarios, the coverage of a single access point (AP) is limited. In larger areas or areas with high network quality requirements, multiple access points are typically deployed to provide a unified wireless network access service. For example, within a building, multiple Fiber To The Room (FTTR) systems can be deployed, with the FTTR devices in each system providing a unified wireless network access service.

[0004] When multiple access points exist, if a station (STA) moves, it will leave the coverage area of ​​the currently accessing access point, disconnect from that access point, and then detect the access point with the best signal quality to access.

[0005] Because the STA only connects to the access point with the best signal quality after disconnecting from the original access point, the network interruption time is relatively long. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a method, apparatus, device, and system for roaming management, which can shorten the duration of network interruptions during roaming. The technical solution adopted is as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a roaming management method, which is applied to a first access point, and the method includes:

[0008] Send information about candidate access points for the site to the optical line termination (OLT), wherein the first access point is the current access point of the site, and both the candidate access point and the first access point are managed by the OLT; receive the identifier of the second access point to be accessed by the site from the OLT, wherein the second access point is the candidate access point; and send the identifier of the second access point to the site.

[0009] In the scheme shown in this application, during site roaming, the first access point sends information about the site's candidate access points to the connected OLT. Both the candidate access point and the first access point are connected to the OLT, which can be understood as the OLT registering and going online. The OLT then determines a second access point for the site to connect to, and the first access point notifies the site of the second access point. In this way, the site obtains the identifier of the access point to be connected to while still connected to the first access point, rather than determining the access point only after disconnecting from the first access point. This allows for rapid roaming to the desired access point, shortens network interruption time, and improves the user's network experience.

[0010] The first access point is either an optical network terminal (ONT) or an optical network unit (ONU). It can also be a master fiber unit (MFU) or a sub-fiber unit (SFU). An MFU can also be called a main FTTR unit, and an SFU can be called a sub-FTTR unit. An MFU can also be called a main gateway, and an SFU can be called a sub-gateway.

[0011] In one alternative approach, the first access point sends candidate access point information to the OLT using a first optical network terminal management and control interface (OMCI) message, and the OLT sends the identifier of the second access point to the first access point via a second OMCI message, enabling the OLT to perform roaming management using the OMCI protocol.

[0012] In one alternative approach, the first OMCI message is carried within the payload area of ​​a gigabit-capable passive optical network transmission convergence (GTC). This allows for the transmission of candidate access point information simply by changing the content of the payload area, facilitating roaming management by the OLT using the OMCI protocol.

[0013] In one alternative approach, the second OMCI message is carried within the GTC payload area. This allows for the transmission of the roaming target simply by changing the content of the payload area, facilitating roaming management by the OLT using the OMCI protocol.

[0014] In one alternative approach, both the first OMCI message and the second OMCI message include the site identifier, thus binding the OMCI message to the site and facilitating roaming management between the OLT and the first access point.

[0015] In one alternative approach, the information of the candidate access point includes its basic service set identifier (BSSID) and received signal strength indication (RSSI). For each candidate access point, the RSSI is the signal strength detected by the station at that candidate access point, and the identifier of the second access point is its BSSID. Thus, sending the RSSIs of the candidate access points to the OLT allows the OLT to select an access point for the station to connect to using the RSSIs.

[0016] In one alternative approach, the first access point detects that the signal strength of the site is below a roaming threshold before sending the site's candidate access point information to the OLT. This way, sending the site's candidate access point information only during roaming saves processing and transmission resources.

[0017] In one alternative approach, the roaming threshold on the first access point is configured by the OLT, enabling the OLT to manage the access points uniformly.

[0018] In one alternative approach, the OLT uses a third OMCI message to configure the roaming threshold, enabling the OLT to use the OMCI protocol for roaming management.

[0019] In one alternative approach, the roaming management method can be applied to multiple scenarios. A first access point is connected to the optical line terminal (OLT) via a first primary optical network unit (PMU), and / or a second access point is connected to the OLT via a second PMU. For example, the first PMU is the MFU of FTTR system 1, the second PMU is the MFU of FTTR system 2, and the site roams from FTTR system 1 to FTTR system 2. Another example: the first PMU is the MFU of FTTR system 1, the second access point is an ONT or ONU (not belonging to the FTTR system), and the site roams from FTTR system 1 to the ONT or ONU. Yet another example: the first access point is an ONT or ONU (not belonging to the FTTR system), the second PMU is the MFU of FTTR system 2, and the site roams from the ONT or ONU to FTTR system 2.

[0020] In one alternative approach, when the first access point is an MFU managed by the OLT, to ensure that the OLT only manages roaming between FTTR systems, it is determined that the second access point is not connected to the main optical network unit before sending the candidate access point information of the site to the OLT. Thus, reports are only made to the OLT when roaming between FTTR systems or between an FTTR system and an ONT, allowing for unified management by the OLT and conserving its processing resources.

[0021] Here, if it is determined that the second access point is connected to the MFU, the first access point sends the identifier of the second access point to the site, causing the site to roam to the second access point.

[0022] Secondly, this application provides a roaming management method applied to an OLT. The method includes: receiving information on candidate access points of a site sent by a first access point, wherein the first access point is the current access point of the site, and both the candidate access points and the first access point are managed by the OLT; determining a second access point to be accessed by the site from among the candidate access points based on the information of the candidate access points; and sending the identifier of the second access point to the first access point.

[0023] In the scheme shown in this application, during site roaming, the OLT receives information about candidate access points for the site sent by the first access point, and the OLT determines the second access point for the site to access. In this way, the site obtains the identifier of the access point to be accessed while still connected to the first access point, rather than determining the access point only after disconnecting from the first access point. This allows for rapid roaming to the desired access point, shortens network interruption time, and improves the user's network experience.

[0024] In one alternative approach, the OLT receives information about candidate access points via a first OMCI message, and the OLT sends the identifier of the second access point to the first access point via a second OMCI message, enabling the OLT to perform roaming management using the OMCI protocol.

[0025] In one alternative approach, the first OMCI message is carried within the GTC payload area. This allows for the transmission of candidate access point information simply by changing the content of the payload area, facilitating roaming management by the OLT using the OMCI protocol.

[0026] In one alternative approach, the second OMCI message is carried within the GTC payload area. This allows for the transmission of the roaming target simply by changing the content of the payload area, facilitating roaming management by the OLT using the OMCI protocol.

[0027] In one alternative approach, both the first and second OMCI messages include the site identifier, thus binding the OMCI messages to the site and facilitating OLT management.

[0028] In one alternative approach, the roaming threshold on the first access point is configured by the OLT, enabling the OLT to manage the access points uniformly.

[0029] In one alternative approach, the OLT uses a third OMCI message to configure the roaming threshold, enabling the OLT to use the OMCI protocol for roaming management.

[0030] In one alternative approach, the candidate access point information includes the candidate access point's Basic Service Set Identifier (RSSI) and Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), wherein the RSSI is the signal strength detected by the site at the candidate access point, and the second access point's identifier is the second access point's RSSI. In this way, the OLT can use RSSI to select an access point for the site to access.

[0031] Thirdly, this application provides a roaming management apparatus that has the functionality to implement the first aspect and the optional methods described above. The apparatus includes at least one module for implementing the methods provided by the first aspect and the optional methods described above.

[0032] Fourthly, this application provides a roaming management apparatus having the functionality to implement the second aspect and the optional methods described above. The apparatus includes at least one module for implementing the methods provided by the second aspect and the optional methods described above.

[0033] Fifthly, this application provides an access point including a processor, a memory, and a communication interface. The processor is used to execute program instructions in the memory to implement the methods provided in the first aspect and the optional methods of the first aspect. The communication interface is used to communicate with the OLT and the station.

[0034] In a sixth aspect, this application provides an OLT, which includes a processor, a memory, and a communication interface; the processor is used to execute program instructions in the memory to implement the methods provided in the second aspect and the optional methods of the second aspect, and the communication interface is used to communicate with an access point.

[0035] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication system, the communication system including an access point and an OLT, the access point being used to implement the methods provided by the first aspect and the optional methods of the first aspect, and the OLT being used to implement the methods provided by the second aspect and the optional methods of the second aspect.

[0036] Eighthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program instruction that is read by a processor to cause a first access point to perform the method provided in the first aspect or any alternative method of the first aspect.

[0037] Ninthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program instruction that is read by a processor to cause the OLT to perform the method provided in the second aspect or any alternative method of the second aspect.

[0038] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a computer program product including program instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a first access point reads the program instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the program instructions, causing the first access point to perform the method provided in the first aspect or any alternative method of the first aspect.

[0039] Eleventhly, this application provides a computer program product including program instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor of the OLT reads the program instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the program instructions, causing the OLT to perform the method provided in the second aspect or any alternative method of the second aspect described above. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of application scenario 1 provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of application scenario 2 provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of application scenario 3 provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a roaming management method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the format of an OMCI message provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a roaming management device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a roaming management device provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] In wireless scenarios, the coverage of a single access point is limited. In larger areas or areas with high network quality requirements, multiple access points are typically deployed. These multiple access points provide a unified wireless network access service, also known as Wi-Fi network access service. When multiple access points exist, if a station moves between FTTR systems or between two ONTs, and leaves the coverage area of ​​its current access point, it will disconnect from that access point and then reconnect to the access point with the best signal quality. This results in a longer network outage time.

[0051] Based on this, the embodiments of this application provide a roaming management method, which centrally manages the wireless network through the OLT, enabling sites to roam seamlessly between two FTTR systems, between the FTTR system and the ONT, or between ONTs, thereby shortening the network interruption time caused by site roaming and improving the user's network experience.

[0052] The application scenarios of the embodiments of this application are described below.

[0053] Application Scenario 1: In a centralized FTTR deployment scenario, multiple FTTR systems may be deployed within the same subnet. Each FTTR system includes an MFU and an SFU. Within each FTTR system, the MFU is connected to the OLT via fiber optic cable, and the MFU is connected to the SFU via fiber optic cable. Access points include MFUs and SFUs, which can be ONTs or ONUs. When these multiple FTTR systems are deployed and put into operation, the OLT is logically configured to belong to the same subnet. Configuration can be performed manually or automatically. For example, as shown in Figure 1, FTTR system 1 and FTTR system 2 are deployed in the same subnet and managed by OLT1. FTTR system 1 includes MFU1, SFU1.1, and SFU1.2. MFU1 is connected to SFU1.1 and SFU1.2 via optical fibers and is also connected to OLT1. FTTR system 2 includes MFU2, SFU2.1, and SFU2.2. MFU2 is connected to SFU2.1 and SFU2.2 via optical fibers and is also connected to OLT1. Sites roam from SFU1.2 to SFU2.1, with SFU1.2 as the first access point and SFU2.1 as the second access point. MFUs can also be called main gateways, and SFUs can be called sub-gateways.

[0054] Application Scenario 2: In a Fiber To The Home (FTTH) deployment scenario, multiple ONTs or ONUs may be deployed in the same area. Taking multiple ONTs as an example, each ONT is connected to the OLT via fiber optic cable. The access point includes the ONT. When an ONT is deployed and brought online, the OLT is logically configured as a subnet. For example, as shown in Figure 2, ONT1 and ONT2 are deployed in the same area. Both ONT1 and ONT2 are connected to OLT1. A site roams from ONT1 to ONT2, with ONT1 as the first access point and ONT2 as the second access point.

[0055] Application Scenario 3: In a hybrid deployment scenario of FTTH and FTTR systems, both FTTH and FTTR systems may be deployed simultaneously in the same area. When the ONT or ONU in the FTTH system and the FTTR system are deployed and put online, they are logically configured to belong to the same subnet on the OLT. This configuration can be done manually or automatically. For example, as shown in Figure 3, FTTR system 1, ONT1, and ONT2 are deployed in the same area. FTTR system 1 includes MFU1, SFU1.1, and SFU1.2. MFU1 is connected to SFU1.1 and SFU1.2 via fiber optic cables and is also connected to OLT1. ONT1 and ONT2 are both connected to OLT1. Sites roam from SFU1.2 to ONT1, with SFU1.2 as the first access point and ONT1 as the second access point.

[0056] In the three application scenarios mentioned above, the OLT communicates with the access points via an extended OMCI link to uniformly manage the access points. This extended OMCI can be considered as an enhanced optical network terminal management and control interface (eOMCI). For example, as shown in Figure 4, the OLT provides wireless network management, wireless terminal management, and wireless network roaming control functions. The wireless network management function manages the wireless network, such as logically dividing two FTTR systems into a subnet. The wireless terminal management function manages the access points connected to the OLT and the existing sites, such as configuring roaming thresholds for access points. The wireless network roaming control function controls the roaming of sites between access points.

[0057] In addition, the OMCI link layer in the OLT is extended to support centralized management of MFUs and SFUs in the FTTR system, or multiple ONTs, or at least one ONT and MFUs and SFUs in the FTTR system.

[0058] Similarly, wireless network management functions have been added to MFU and SFU, and the OMCI link layer has been extended.

[0059] The following describes the entities responsible for implementing roaming management methods.

[0060] The roaming management method is implemented by a roaming management device. Optionally, this roaming management device is a hardware device, such as a first access point or an OLT. Optionally, the roaming management device is a software device, such as a software program running on the first access point, or a software program running on the OLT. The first access point is an MFU or SFU in the FTTR system, or the first access point is an ONT that does not belong to the FTTR system.

[0061] The following describes the method flow for roaming management in the embodiments of this application. Steps 501 to 512 are shown in Figure 5.

[0062] Step 501: The first access point detects that the signal strength of the site is lower than the roaming threshold.

[0063] The first access point is any access point that connects to the OLT.

[0064] In this embodiment, the first access point is the access point currently accessed by the site, and the site can be any site using a wireless network, such as a mobile phone, tablet, computer, or smart home appliance—any terminal that needs to access the network. The first access point periodically determines the signal strength of the site. For example, the first access point periodically sends beacon frames to the site. Upon receiving the beacon frame, the site sends a reply signal to the first access point. The first access point determines the RSSI of the reply signal, which represents the signal strength. The first access point determines the relationship between the signal strength and a roaming threshold. If the signal strength is determined to be lower than the roaming threshold, step 502 is executed, whereby the signal gradually weakens as the site moves away from the first access point until it falls below the roaming threshold. If the signal strength is determined to be not lower than the roaming threshold, the signal strength of the site continues to be detected.

[0065] In one alternative approach, the roaming threshold is uniformly configured by the OLT. The first access point receives the roaming threshold sent by the OLT before step 501 and stores the roaming threshold.

[0066] Alternatively, the roaming threshold can be configured by technicians in the first access point when it is deployed and brought online.

[0067] Optionally, for any FTTR system, the roaming threshold for access points in that FTTR system managed by the OLT is the same.

[0068] Optionally, when access point coverage is dense, the OLT configures a first roaming threshold for the first access point; when access point coverage is sparse, the OLT configures a second roaming threshold for the first access point, where the first roaming threshold is greater than the second roaming threshold. Thus, in dense coverage, because the distance between access nodes is small, setting the roaming threshold too low would result in roaming occurring even after a short distance, leading to frequent roaming. To conserve roaming management resources, the roaming threshold is configured higher. Conversely, in sparse coverage, because the distance between access nodes is large, a greater distance is required to enter the coverage area of ​​an access point with stronger signal strength. Therefore, setting the roaming threshold lower is appropriate in this case.

[0069] Optionally, the OLT can also modify the roaming threshold. For example, if the coverage of the area where the first access point is located changes beyond a certain level, the OLT can reconfigure the roaming threshold for the first access point.

[0070] Optionally, roaming thresholds are configured via OMCI messages. The first access point receives an OMCI message sent by the OLT, which includes the roaming threshold. The first access point retrieves the roaming threshold from this OMCI message and stores it. To distinguish it from the first and second OMCI messages mentioned later, this OMCI message can be referred to as the third OMCI message.

[0071] Optionally, the roaming threshold is set in the GTC payload area of ​​the OMCI message.

[0072] Optionally, the basic format of an OMCI message is shown in Figure 6. The OMCI message is carried in the payload area of ​​the GTC frame; that is, the payload area of ​​the GTC frame includes the OMCI message. The OMCI message includes a frame header, a transaction correlation identifier, a message type, a device identifier, a managed entity identifier, message contents, and a message trailer (i.e., the OMCI trailer). The transaction correlation identifier occupies 2 bytes and is used to associate a request message with its corresponding response message. For a request message, the transaction correlation identifier can be any identifier, and the response message should carry the transaction correlation identifier of the request message it is responding to. The message type is 1 byte and is used to indicate whether the current OMCI message requires a response, whether it requires acknowledgment, and to indicate the specific message type, such as create, delete, or retrieve. The device identifier occupies 1 byte and is used to indicate that it is an OMCI protocol; it is a specified value. The managed entity identifier occupies 4 bytes and is used to indicate the managed entity and the managed instances within that entity. The message contents occupy 32 bytes and vary in different OMCI messages. The OMCI tail is a specified value.

[0073] Optionally, when the OLT configures the roaming threshold for the first access point, it is equivalent to adding a managed entity to the OLT. This managed entity can be the frequency band in which the wireless network operates. The contents of this managed entity are shown in Table 1.

[0074] Table 1

[0075] In Table 1, "XXX" represents the management entity's ID, which uniquely identifies each management entity. Each instance of a management entity refers to a specific attribute of a frequency band, such as the roaming threshold, operating channel, number of sites, and traffic. Different instances correspond to different attribute information. A frequency band can include multiple operating channels. The number of sites limits the number of sites that can access a frequency band. Traffic measures the activity level of the frequency band. The number of sites and traffic here can be optional parameters within the frequency band entity of the wireless network.

[0076] It should be noted that if the roaming threshold is the same across different frequency bands, the roaming threshold can be configured together. However, the roaming threshold may differ across different frequency bands, requiring separate configuration for each band. Currently, wireless networks operate on frequency bands including 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz, but with technological advancements, more operating frequency bands may emerge. The embodiments described in this application still apply.

[0077] When the OLT configures roaming thresholds through the management entity (frequency band of the wireless network), the content of the OMCI message may differ depending on whether the first access point is an MFU or an SFU. For the content of the OMCI message when configuring roaming thresholds on an MFU, please refer to Table 2.

[0078] Table 2

[0079] In Table 2, the OMCI message is used to configure the roaming threshold; the message type is "set" and the value is 8. The device identifier is 0x0A. The management entity identifier is FFE7xxxx.

[0080] When configuring the roaming threshold on the SFU, the content of the OMCI message is shown in Table 3.

[0081] Table 3

[0082] In Table 3, to distinguish the MFU, the device identifier is set to 0x1A. The MFU UNI optical port ID indicates the interface in the MFU that connects to the SFU configured with the roaming threshold, and the SFU ID refers to the identifier of the SFU configured with the roaming threshold. The remaining contents of Table 3 are described in Table 2 and will not be repeated here.

[0083] The message contents in Tables 2 and 3 include the roaming threshold. Optionally, the roaming threshold is sent using an attribute mask, as shown in Table 4.

[0084] Table 4

[0085] In Table 4, the roaming threshold is transmitted via an attribute mask, and certain bits in the attribute mask indicate the roaming threshold. For example, the 6th bit indicates the roaming threshold, but in practice, other bits can also be used; this embodiment does not limit this. Some attribute information of the wireless network's frequency band includes information such as the number of sites and traffic.

[0086] The roaming threshold here can also be sent directly without using a mask.

[0087] Step 502: The first access point sends a roaming target detection request to the site.

[0088] In this embodiment, the first access point sends a roaming target detection request to the site via the 802.11K protocol. The roaming target detection request is used to instruct the site to detect accessible access points near its current location. For example, the roaming target detection request is a beacon request in the 802.11K protocol.

[0089] Step 503: The station receives the roaming target detection request and determines the information of the candidate access point.

[0090] In this embodiment, the station receives a roaming target detection request and determines candidate access point information via the 802.11K protocol. For example, the station determines the RSSI of the beacon frame received in the most recent time period. This beacon frame is periodically broadcast by the access point. The station determines access points with RSSI greater than a certain threshold (this threshold can be a roaming threshold or something greater than the roaming threshold), and forms a candidate access point group from these determined access points. This candidate access point and the first access point are both managed by the same OLT, which can also be understood as the candidate access point and the first access point accessing the same OLT.

[0091] It should be noted that candidate access points are access points that the site can connect to, and are configured to belong to the same subnet on the OLT side. For example, access points belonging to the same subnet can present the same wireless network name to users.

[0092] Optionally, the first access point may send a maximum of the target number of access points to the OLT each time. If the number of access points with RSSI greater than a certain threshold exceeds the target number, the target number of access points arranged in descending order of RSSI may be selected as candidate access points.

[0093] Step 504: The site sends the candidate access point information to the first access point.

[0094] In this embodiment, after determining the information of the candidate access point, the site sends the candidate access point information to the first access point via the 802.11k protocol. For example, the candidate access point information is carried in the beacon report.

[0095] Step 505: The first access point receives the candidate access point information sent by the site.

[0096] Step 506: The first access point sends the information of the candidate access points of the site to the OLT.

[0097] In this embodiment, the first access point sends a first OMCI message to the OLT, which includes information about candidate access points. Here, when sending the candidate access point information, the information of one candidate access point for one site can be carried in one OMCI message, or the information of candidate access points for multiple sites can be carried in one OMCI message.

[0098] In one alternative approach, when the first access point is an MFU (Member Unit), the first access point determines from among the candidate access points whether a roaming-compatible access point belongs to the same FTTR (Fixed-Line Transmission) system as the MFU. If they belong to the same FTTR system, the first access point directly sends the identifier of the determined access point to the site, enabling the site to access that access point. If they do not belong to the same FTTR system, the first access point sends the site's candidate access point information to the OLT (On-Line Transport). This allows the OLT to manage site roaming between FTTR systems, or roaming between an FTTR system and the ONT (On-Line Transport).

[0099] In one alternative approach, the first OMCI message is sent via a GTC frame and carried in the GTC payload area.

[0100] Optionally, when sending the candidate access point message through the first OMCI message, it is equivalent to adding a management entity, which is the access device data entity. The content of the access device data entity is shown in Table 5.

[0101] Table 5

[0102] In Table 5, "XXX" represents the management entity number, and each instance in the access device data entity represents a site managed by the OLT. The site's signal strength refers to the signal strength detected by the first access point and is optional. The network accessed by the site refers to the first access point currently accessed by the site, and the frequency band currently used by the first access point. The OLT then selects a second access point for the site based on the frequency band selection strategy. In the roaming results, 0 indicates roaming failure within the FTTR system, 1 indicates successful roaming within the FTTR system, 2 indicates roaming failure between FTTR systems, or between an FTTR system and an ONT, or between ONTs, and 3 indicates successful roaming between FTTR systems, or between an FTTR system and an ONT, or between ONTs.

[0103] The format of the first OMCI message may differ between MFU and SFU. For the format of the first OMCI message corresponding to MFU, please refer to Table 6.

[0104] Table 6

[0105] In Table 6, the value of N is set according to actual needs. Since the length of candidate access point information is uncertain, a message content length field is added to the OMCI message. The first OMCI message is used for reporting; therefore, the message type is attribute value change (AVC), with a value of 17, indicating a notification of an attribute value change. Because the first OMCI message is an extended class OMCI message, the device identifier is 0x0B. The message security verification field is used to verify the security of the message.

[0106] The message contents in Table 6 are shown in Table 7.

[0107] Table 7

[0108] Optionally, bit 0 is used to record the site's MAC address, and bit 1 is used to record the site's IP address; these are optional. Bit 2 indicates the frequency band pointer type, which is optional. Bit 3 indicates the specific content of the frequency band pointer, specifying the frequency band it points to. Bit 4 indicates the online status, which is optional, indicating whether the site is currently online. Bit 5 indicates the site's RSSI. The roaming neighbor list on bit 6 informs the OLT that the first access point should report candidate access point information. Bit 7 indicates the roaming target BSSID. Bit 8 indicates the roaming result. The number of bytes occupied by the roaming neighbor list is the actual number of bytes occupied by the roaming neighbor list. In the first OMCI message, bits 7 and 8 can be blank or filled with specified values ​​to indicate that the roaming target BSSID and roaming result are not carried.

[0109] It should be noted that the content of Table 7 can be sent directly without using a mask.

[0110] The format of the first OMCI message corresponding to SFU is shown in Table 8.

[0111] Table 8

[0112] The content in Table 8 is similar to that in Table 6, except that the MFU UNI optical port ID field and the SFU ID field have been added. Furthermore, to distinguish between the main MFU and the SFU, the device identifier is 0x1B.

[0113] The message content in Table 8 is the same as that in Table 7, and will not be repeated here.

[0114] Optionally, before the first access point sends the first OMCI message to the OLT, the first access point first sends a fourth OMCI message to the OLT. After receiving the fourth OMCI message, the OLT sends a fifth OMCI message to the first access point, so that the first access point sends the candidate access point information to the OLT. For MFU, the fourth and fifth OMCI messages are basically the same as those in Table 6. For SFU, the fourth and fifth OMCI messages are basically the same as those in Table 8, the difference being that the message type is either "get" (value 9) or "get next" (value 26). Then the first access point sends the first OMCI message to the OLT.

[0115] Step 507: The OLT receives the candidate access point information of the site sent by the first access point.

[0116] In this embodiment, the OLT receives a first OMCI message and obtains information about the candidate access point from the first OMCI message.

[0117] Step 508: Based on the information of the candidate access point, the OLT determines the second access point for the site to access from among the candidate access points.

[0118] In this embodiment, the information of the candidate access point includes BSSID and RSSI, with each BSSID uniquely indicating a candidate access point. For each candidate access point, the RSSI represents the signal strength detected by the site. The OLT has multiple methods to determine the access point to be connected to, referred to as the second access point, and this embodiment does not limit these methods. For example, the OLT selects the candidate access point with the highest RSSI from among the candidate access points and designates it as the second access point. Another example is that the OLT selects the candidate access point with an RSSI greater than a certain threshold and the fewest currently connected sites, and designates the selected candidate access point as the second access point. Yet another example is that the OLT weights the candidate access point's RSSI with the number of currently connectable sites, and designates the candidate access point with the largest weighted value as the second access point. Still another example is that the OLT weights the RSSI with the reciprocal of the candidate access point's traffic over a period of time, and designates the candidate access point with the largest weighted value as the second access point.

[0119] It should be noted that the frequency band used generally does not change after a site roams. Therefore, the selected second access point must support the frequency band used by the site. Moreover, the selection strategies for different frequency bands may be different. When selecting a second access point, the selection strategy corresponding to the frequency band used by the site should be used.

[0120] In addition, the BSSID in the candidate access point information can be replaced with other identifiers that can uniquely identify a candidate access point.

[0121] Step 509: The OLT sends the identifier of the second access point to the first access point.

[0122] In this embodiment, the OLT sends a second OMCI message to the first access point. The second OMCI message includes the identifier of the second access point, which may be a BSSID.

[0123] Optionally, the second OMCI message is sent via a GTC frame and carried in the GTC payload area.

[0124] When the first access point is an MFU or an SFU, the format of the second OMCI message may differ. These will be explained separately below.

[0125] The format of the second OMCI message corresponding to the MFU is shown in Table 9.

[0126] Table 9

[0127] In Table 9, the second OMCI message is used for reporting; therefore, the message type is AVC, with a value of 17, indicating a notification of an automatic change in attribute values. The device identifier is 0x0A. The management entity also belongs to the access device data entity, with a value of FFE8xxxx.

[0128] Optionally, the message contents are sent using a mask; see Table 10 for the message contents in Table 9.

[0129] Table 10

[0130] It should be noted that the descriptions in Table 10 are the same as those in Table 7, except that the roaming neighbor list in Table 10 is blank or has a specified value, while the roaming target BSSID has content. The content of the attribute mask in Table 10 is only an example; as long as the MAC address of the sending site and the roaming target BSSID can be sent, it is acceptable, and this application embodiment does not impose any limitations.

[0131] The format of the second OMCI message corresponding to SFU is shown in Table 11.

[0132] Table 11

[0133] In Table 11, the second OMCI message is used for reporting; therefore, the message type is AVC with a value of 17, indicating a notification of an auto-change in attribute values. The device identifier is 0x1A. The management entity also belongs to the access device data entity, with a value of FFE8xxxx. The SFU ID is the identifier of the first access point.

[0134] The message contents in Table 11 are described in Table 10 and will not be repeated here.

[0135] Step 510: The first access point receives the identifier of the second access point to be accessed by the OLT, wherein the second access point belongs to the candidate access point.

[0136] In this embodiment, the first access point receives the second OMCI message and obtains the identifier of the second access point from the second OMCI message.

[0137] Here, if the first access point is the SFU in the FTTR system, the second OMCI message is transmitted to the first access point via the MFU.

[0138] Step 511: The first access point sends the identifier of the second access point to the station.

[0139] In this embodiment, the first access point receives a second OMCI message and obtains its identifier from it. The first access point then sends a roaming setup message to the site via the 802.11v protocol, which includes the identifier of the second access point. For example, the roaming setup message may be a basic service set (BSS) transition frame.

[0140] Step 512: The site receives the identifier of the second access point and associates with the second access point.

[0141] In this embodiment, the station receives the identifier of the second access point and performs the process of associating with the second access point. For example, the station sends a reassociation request to the second access point to access the second access point.

[0142] After step 512, once the site connects to the second access point, the second access point reports a successful access message to the OLT. The management entity is still the access device data entity, but the roaming result value is 3.

[0143] In one alternative approach, the site may not be connected to the second access point, or it may be connected to the first access point. The first access point reports a roaming failure message to the OLT. The management entity is still the access device data entity, but the roaming result value is 2.

[0144] In this embodiment, through centralized control of the OLT, the site can obtain the identifier of the second access point to be accessed while still connected to the first access point, without having to search for and access the site after the network is disconnected. This shortens the roaming time between FTTR systems, the roaming time between the FTTR system and the ONT, and the roaming time between ONTs, greatly improving the user's network experience.

[0145] Furthermore, tests have shown that roaming interruption time between FTTR systems can be reduced to 100ms. Extending OMCI messages makes centralized control of access points by the OLT easier.

[0146] It should be noted that the previous text used the first access point to determine whether the site needs to report the information of the candidate access point. In another implementation, the site detects the signal strength of nearby access points. If there is an access point with a signal strength exceeding that of the current access point, and the signal strength of the current access point is lower than the roaming threshold, then the site actively sends the information of the candidate access point to the current access point.

[0147] It should also be noted that the preceding description used an MFU or SFU as the first access point, illustrating the interaction process between the first access point and the OLT. When the first access point is an ONT, the interaction process between the first access point and the OLT is the same as that between the MFU and the OLT, and will not be repeated here. In the embodiments of this application, the access point can be either an ONT or an ONU.

[0148] Figure 7 is a structural diagram of the roaming management device provided in an embodiment of this application. This device can be implemented as part or all of a whole through software, hardware, or a combination of both, and is applied to a first access point. The device provided in this embodiment can implement part of the process described in Figure 5 of this embodiment. The device includes: a sending module 710 and a receiving module 720, wherein:

[0149] The sending module 710 is used to send information about candidate access points of a site to the optical line terminal, wherein the first access point is the current access point of the site, and both the candidate access point and the first access point are managed by the optical line terminal.

[0150] The receiving module 720 is used to receive the identifier of the second access point to be accessed by the site sent by the optical line terminal, wherein the second access point belongs to the candidate access point;

[0151] The sending module 710 is also used to send the identifier of the second access point to the site.

[0152] In one alternative approach, the sending module is configured to send a first optical network unit management and control interface message to the optical line terminal, wherein the first optical network unit management and control interface message includes information about the candidate access point;

[0153] The receiving module is used to receive the second optical network unit management and control interface message sent by the optical line terminal, wherein the second optical network unit management and control interface message includes the identifier of the second access point.

[0154] In one alternative approach, the first OMCI message is carried in the GTC payload area.

[0155] In one alternative approach, the second OMCI message is carried in the GTC payload area.

[0156] In one alternative approach, both the first OMCI message and the second OMCI message include the identifier of the site.

[0157] In one alternative approach, the information of the candidate access point includes the basic service set identifier and received signal strength indication of the candidate access point, wherein, for each candidate access point, the received signal strength indication of the candidate access point is the signal strength of the candidate access point detected by the site, and the identifier of the second access point is the basic service set identifier of the second access point.

[0158] In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus further includes a detection module for detecting that the signal strength of the site is below a roaming threshold before sending information about the site's candidate access points to the optical line terminal.

[0159] In an alternative embodiment, the receiving module 720 is further configured to receive the roaming threshold sent by the optical line terminal before detecting that the signal strength of the site is lower than the roaming threshold.

[0160] In an optional manner, the receiving module 720 is further configured to receive a third optical network unit management and control interface message sent by the optical line terminal, wherein the third optical network unit management and control interface message includes the roaming threshold.

[0161] In one alternative, the first access point is connected to the optical line terminal via a first main optical network unit, and / or the second access point is connected to the optical line terminal via a second main optical network unit.

[0162] In one alternative approach, the first access point is a main optical network unit;

[0163] The device further includes a determination module for determining that the second access point is not connected to the main optical network unit before sending information about candidate access points of the site to the optical line terminal.

[0164] Figure 8 is a structural diagram of the roaming management device provided in an embodiment of this application. This device can be implemented as part or all of a larger device through software, hardware, or a combination of both, and is applied to an OLT. The device provided in this embodiment can implement part of the process described in Figure 5 of this embodiment. The device includes: a receiving module 810, a determining module 820, and a sending module 830, wherein:

[0165] The receiving module 810 is used to receive information about candidate access points of a site sent by the first access point, wherein the first access point is the current access point of the site, and both the candidate access point and the first access point belong to the optical line terminal management.

[0166] The determining module 820 is used to determine, based on the information of the candidate access points, a second access point to which the site should access from the candidate access points;

[0167] The sending module 830 is used to send the identifier of the second access point to the first access point.

[0168] In one alternative embodiment, the receiving module 810 is configured to receive a first optical network unit management and control interface message sent by the first access point, wherein the first optical network unit management and control interface message includes information about the candidate access points of the site.

[0169] The sending module is used to send a second optical network unit management and control interface message to the first access point, wherein the second optical network unit management and control interface message includes the identifier of the second access point to be accessed by the site.

[0170] In one alternative approach, the first OMCI message is carried in the GTC payload area.

[0171] In one alternative approach, the second OMCI message is carried in the GTC payload area.

[0172] In one alternative approach, both the first OMCI message and the second OMCI message include the address of the site.

[0173] In an alternative embodiment, the sending module 830 is further configured to send a roaming threshold to the first access point, the roaming threshold being used to determine whether a site accessing the first access point meets the requirements for roaming.

[0174] In an alternative embodiment, the sending module 830 is further configured to send a third optical network unit management and control interface message to the first access point, wherein the third optical network unit management and control interface message includes the roaming threshold.

[0175] In one alternative approach, the information of the candidate access point includes the basic service set identifier and received signal strength indication of the candidate access point, wherein the received signal strength indication of the candidate access point is the signal strength of the candidate access point detected by the site, and the identifier of the second access point is the basic service set identifier of the second access point.

[0176] For a detailed description of the roaming management process of the devices shown in Figures 7 and 8, please refer to the descriptions in the preceding embodiments; they will not be repeated here. The roaming management device shown in Figure 7 is the first access point mentioned earlier, and the roaming management device shown in Figure 8 is the OLT mentioned earlier.

[0177] This application also provides a device 100. As shown in FIG9, device 100 includes: a bus 102, a processor 104, a memory 106, and a communication interface 108. The processor 104, the memory 106, and the communication interface 108 communicate with each other via the bus 102. Device 100 may be a server or a terminal device. It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of processors and memories in device 100.

[0178] Bus 102 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, only one line is used in Figure 9, but this does not imply that there is only one bus or one type of bus. Bus 104 can include pathways for transmitting information between various components of device 100 (e.g., memory 106, processor 104, communication interface 108).

[0179] The processor 104 may include any one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor (MP), or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0180] The memory 106 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM). The memory 106 may also include non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid state drive (SSD).

[0181] The memory 106 stores executable program code, and the processor 104 executes the executable program code to implement the roaming management method. That is, the memory 106 stores program instructions for executing the roaming management method.

[0182] The communication interface 108 uses an optical module to enable communication between the device 100 and other devices or communication networks.

[0183] This application also provides a computer program product including program instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a first access point reads the program instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the program instructions, causing the first access point to perform a portion of the process shown in FIG5.

[0184] This application also provides a computer program product including program instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor of the OLT reads the program instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the program instructions, causing the OLT to perform a portion of the flow shown in FIG5.

[0185] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the method steps and units described in the embodiments disclosed in this application can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the steps and components of each embodiment have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0186] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed system architecture, apparatus, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices, or modules, or may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms of connection.

[0187] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of this application, depending on actual needs.

[0188] Furthermore, the modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or in software.

[0189] If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0190] In this application, the terms "first" and "second," etc., are used to distinguish identical or similar items that have substantially the same function and purpose. It should be understood that there is no logical or temporal dependency between "first" and "second," nor does it limit the quantity or execution order. It should also be understood that although the following description uses the terms "first" and "second," etc., to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by the terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the various examples, a first access point can be referred to as a second access point, and similarly, a second access point can be referred to as a first access point. Both a first access point and a second access point can be access points, and in some cases, they can be separate and distinct access points.

[0191] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and such modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for roaming management, characterized in that, Applied to a first access point, the method includes: Send information about candidate access points of a site to the optical line terminal, wherein the first access point is the current access point of the site, and both the candidate access point and the first access point are managed by the optical line terminal; The system receives the identifier of the second access point to be accessed by the site from the optical line terminal, wherein the second access point belongs to the candidate access point; Send the identifier of the second access point to the site.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The information on candidate access points of the site sent to the optical line terminal includes: Send a first optical network unit management and control interface message to the optical line terminal, the first optical network unit management and control interface message including information about the candidate access point; The receipt of the identifier of the second access point to be accessed by the site from the optical line terminal includes: The system receives a second optical network unit management and control interface message sent by the optical line terminal, the second optical network unit management and control interface message including the identifier of the second access point.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first optical network unit management and control interface message is carried in the gigabit passive optical network transmission aggregation payload area.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The second optical network unit management and control interface message is carried in the gigabit passive optical network transmission aggregation payload area.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, Both the first optical network unit management and control interface message and the second optical network unit management and control interface message include the identifier of the site.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The information of the candidate access point includes the basic service set identifier and the received signal strength indication of the candidate access point, wherein the received signal strength indication of the candidate access point is the signal strength of the candidate access point detected by the station, and the identifier of the second access point is the basic service set identifier of the second access point.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Before sending the candidate access point information of the site to the optical line terminal, the following is also included: The signal strength of the site was detected to be below the roaming threshold.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Before detecting that the signal strength of the site is below the roaming threshold, the following is also included: Receive the roaming threshold sent by the optical line terminal.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The roaming threshold received from the optical line terminal includes: The system receives a third optical network unit management and control interface message sent by the optical line terminal, wherein the third optical network unit management and control interface message includes the roaming threshold.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first access point is connected to the optical line terminal via a first main optical network unit, and / or the second access point is connected to the optical line terminal via a second main optical network unit.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first access point is the main optical network unit; Before sending the candidate access point information of the site to the optical line terminal, the following is also included: It was determined that the second access point was not connected to the main optical network unit.

12. A method for roaming management, characterized in that, Applied to optical line terminals, the method includes: Receive information on candidate access points of a site sent by a first access point, wherein the first access point is the current access point of the site, and both the candidate access points and the first access point belong to the optical line terminal management. Based on the information of the candidate access points, a second access point for the site to access is determined from the candidate access points; Send the identifier of the second access point to the first access point.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The information on candidate access points of the site sent by the first access point includes: The system receives a first optical network unit management and control interface message sent by the first access point, wherein the first optical network unit management and control interface message includes information about the candidate access points of the site. Sending the identifier of the second access point to the first access point includes: Send a second optical network unit management and control interface message to the first access point, wherein the second optical network unit management and control interface message includes the identifier of the second access point to which the site is to access.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first optical network unit management and control interface message is carried in the gigabit passive optical network transmission aggregation payload area.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The second optical network unit management and control interface message is carried in the gigabit passive optical network transmission aggregation payload area.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that, Both the first optical network unit management and control interface message and the second optical network unit management and control interface message include the address of the site.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: A roaming threshold is sent to the first access point, wherein the roaming threshold is used to determine whether a site accessing the first access point is roaming.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, Sending the roaming threshold to the first access point includes: Send a third optical network unit management and control interface message to the first access point, wherein the third optical network unit management and control interface message includes the roaming threshold.

19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that, The information of the candidate access point includes the basic service set identifier and the received signal strength indication of the candidate access point, wherein the received signal strength indication of the candidate access point is the signal strength of the candidate access point detected by the station, and the identifier of the second access point is the basic service set identifier of the second access point.

20. A roaming management device, characterized in that, Applied to a first access point, the device includes: The sending module is used to send information about candidate access points of a site to the optical line terminal, wherein the first access point is the current access point of the site, and both the candidate access point and the first access point are managed by the optical line terminal. A receiving module is configured to receive the identifier of the second access point to be accessed by the site sent by the optical line terminal, wherein the second access point belongs to the candidate access point; The sending module is also used to send the identifier of the second access point to the site.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that, The sending module is used to send a first optical network unit management and control interface message to the optical line terminal, wherein the first optical network unit management and control interface message includes information about the candidate access point; The receiving module is used to receive the second optical network unit management and control interface message sent by the optical line terminal, wherein the second optical network unit management and control interface message includes the identifier of the second access point.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that, The first optical network unit management and control interface message is carried in the gigabit passive optical network transmission aggregation payload area.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that, The second optical network unit management and control interface message is carried in the gigabit passive optical network transmission aggregation payload area.

24. A roaming management device, characterized in that, The device, applied to optical line terminals, includes: The receiving module is used to receive information about candidate access points of a site sent by a first access point, wherein the first access point is the current access point of the site, and both the candidate access points and the first access point belong to the optical line terminal management. The determining module is used to determine, based on the information of the candidate access points, a second access point to which the site should access from the candidate access points; The sending module is used to send the identifier of the second access point to the first access point.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, characterized in that, The receiving module is configured to receive a first optical network unit management and control interface message sent by the first access point, wherein the first optical network unit management and control interface message includes information about the candidate access points of the site. The sending module is used to send a second optical network unit management and control interface message to the first access point, wherein the second optical network unit management and control interface message includes the identifier of the second access point to be accessed by the site.

26. An access point, characterized in that, The access point includes a processor, a memory, and a communication interface; The processor is configured to execute program instructions in the memory to perform the processing functions in the roaming management method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; The communication interface is used to communicate with optical line terminals and sites.

27. An optical line terminal, characterized in that, The optical line terminal includes a processor, a memory, and a communication interface; The processor is configured to execute program instructions in the memory to perform the processing functions in the roaming management method as described in any one of claims 12 to 19; The communication interface is used to communicate with the access point.

28. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first access point and an optical line terminal, wherein the first access point is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; The optical line terminal is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 19.

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