Access point energy-saving interaction method, apparatus, device and system

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of communications. Provided in the present application are an access point energy-saving interaction method, an apparatus, a device and a system. The method comprises: in an FTTR network, a second access point reports an energy-saving capability of at least one energy-saving object thereof to a first access point, and the first access point determines, for the at least one energy-saving object, an energy-saving policy matching the energy-saving capability, and then instructs the second access point to perform energy-saving processing according to the energy-saving policy. In this way, the second access point can perform energy-saving processing, and the energy-saving policy matches the capability thereof, thereby reducing overall power consumption of access points in FTTR networks.

Description

Methods, devices, equipment and systems for energy-saving interaction at access points

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent applications filed on November 4, 2024, with application number 202411567433.5, entitled "Method, Apparatus, Device and System for Energy-Saving Interaction at Access Points", and filed on January 9, 2025, with application number 202510039289.6, also entitled "Method, Apparatus, Device and System for Energy-Saving Interaction at Access Points", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, device and system for energy-saving interaction at an access point. Background Technology

[0003] Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are becoming increasingly popular. WLANs include stations (STAs) and access points (APs). Currently, energy saving focuses on the energy saving of stations in order to extend the standby time of the stations. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method for energy-saving interaction at access points, which offers an interaction scheme between the master and slave access points when performing energy-saving control of access points. The technical solution adopted is as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a method for energy-saving interaction at an access point, applied to a first access point in a fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) network, the first access point being connected to at least one access point in the FTTR network. The method includes: receiving a first energy-saving request sent by a second access point among the at least one access point, wherein the first energy-saving request is used to instruct the second access point to apply for entering an energy-saving mode; and sending an energy-saving indication message to the second access point, wherein the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter or exit the energy-saving mode.

[0006] In the scheme shown in this application, the second access point in the FTTR network actively initiates energy-saving negotiation with the first access point, so that the first access point knows that the second access point can enter the energy-saving mode. This allows the first access point to subsequently specify energy-saving operations for the second access point, i.e., specify energy-saving states. In the following text, energy-saving operations and energy-saving states are equivalent, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of access points in the FTTR network.

[0007] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter energy-saving mode. After sending the energy-saving indication message to the second access point, the method further includes: receiving a second energy-saving request sent by the second access point after exiting the energy-saving mode, wherein the second energy-saving request is used to instruct the second access point to exit the energy-saving mode.

[0008] In one alternative approach, the second energy-saving request includes an indication flag for indicating the exit from energy saving and an indication flag for indicating an emergency exit from energy saving. This allows the first access point to know the reason for the second access point's exit from energy saving—whether it's a periodic exit or an exit following an emergency—to better determine the overall energy-saving mechanism.

[0009] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter energy-saving mode. After sending the energy-saving indication message to the second access point, the method further includes: sending an energy-saving exit request to the second access point, wherein the energy-saving exit request is used to instruct the second access point to exit energy-saving mode. This is to perform some necessary processing. For example, if the first access point detects a site roaming to the second access point or a new access site, it needs to wake up the second access point.

[0010] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving exit request includes an indication flag for indicating exiting the energy-saving mode and an indication flag for indicating an emergency exit from the energy-saving mode. Thus, the second access point can determine the next action to take based on whether the indication flag for indicating an emergency exit from the energy-saving mode is included.

[0011] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter energy-saving mode; after sending the energy-saving indication message to the second access point, the method further includes: sending an energy-saving control message to the second access point, wherein the energy-saving control message is used to instruct the second access point to perform a target energy-saving operation. In this way, the first access point can specify an energy-saving state for the second access point.

[0012] In one alternative approach, before sending the energy-saving control message to the second access point, the method further includes: determining the target energy-saving operation for the second access point based on its energy-saving statistics; or, determining the target energy-saving operation for the second access point based on the energy-saving statistics of both the second and third access points, wherein the third access point is the first access point or at least one access point other than the second access point. For example, the third access point could be an access point whose coverage overlaps with that of the second access point, or an adjacent access point. This way, the energy-saving statistics of the third access point are considered when determining the state, enabling a global energy-saving decision mechanism, thus minimizing the impact on FTTR network sites.

[0013] In one alternative approach, before sending the energy-saving control message to the second access point, the method further includes receiving energy-saving statistics sent by the second access point. This allows the latest energy-saving statistics to be used to determine the status of the second access point, ensuring that the status of the second access point matches the current operating conditions.

[0014] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving control message includes one or more of the following: the frequency band of the second access point, the basic service set identifier, or the service set identifier. In this approach, radio frequency resources in the second access point may be divided according to one or more of the following: frequency band, basic service set identifier, or service set identifier; therefore, energy-saving control can be applied to different radio frequency resources.

[0015] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving control message includes energy-saving level information for the second access point. This allows the second access point to exist in multiple energy-saving states, with different energy-saving level information indicating different energy-saving states.

[0016] In one alternative approach, the energy efficiency rating information includes an energy efficiency rating identifier, or it includes an energy efficiency policy for the wireless local area network (WLAN). This way, when using the energy efficiency rating identifier, the identifier contains less information, saving transmission resources; and when using the energy efficiency policy, the second access point can directly obtain the policy without further querying, reducing processing resources.

[0017] In one alternative approach, before receiving a first energy-saving request from a second access point among at least one access point, the method further includes: receiving an energy-saving capability message from the second access point, the energy-saving capability message being used to report the energy-saving capability of the second access point. This causes the first access point to determine an energy-saving state for the second access point according to the energy-saving capability in the energy-saving capability message, such that the determined energy-saving state matches the second access point.

[0018] Secondly, this application provides a method for energy-saving interaction of an access point, applied to a second access point in an FTTR network, the second access point being connected to a first access point in the FTTR network. The method includes: sending a first energy-saving request to the first access point, wherein the first energy-saving request is used to instruct the second access point to apply for entering an energy-saving mode; and receiving an energy-saving indication message sent by the first access point, wherein the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter or exit the energy-saving mode.

[0019] In the scheme shown in this application, the second access point acts as a passive energy-saving object and actively initiates energy-saving negotiation with the first access point, so that the first access point knows that the second access point can save energy. This allows the first access point to subsequently specify an energy-saving state for the second access point, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of access points in the WLAN.

[0020] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter energy-saving mode, and the method further includes: after exiting energy-saving mode, sending a second energy-saving request to the first access point, wherein the second energy-saving request is used to instruct the second access point to exit energy-saving mode.

[0021] In one alternative approach, the second energy-saving request includes an indication sign for indicating the withdrawal of energy saving and an indication sign for indicating an emergency withdrawal of energy saving.

[0022] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter energy-saving mode, and the method further includes: receiving an energy-saving exit request sent by the first access point, wherein the energy-saving exit request is used to instruct the second access point to exit energy-saving mode; and performing an operation to exit energy-saving mode.

[0023] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving exit request includes an indication flag for indicating exit from the energy-saving mode and an indication flag for indicating emergency exit from the energy-saving mode.

[0024] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter energy-saving mode. After receiving the energy-saving indication message sent by the first access point, the method further includes: sending energy-saving statistics information to the first access point.

[0025] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter an energy-saving mode; after receiving the energy-saving indication message sent by the first access point, the method further includes: receiving an energy-saving control message sent by the first access point, wherein the energy-saving control message is used to instruct the second access point to perform a target energy-saving operation; and performing the target energy-saving operation.

[0026] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving control message includes one or more of the following: the frequency band of the second access point, the basic service set identifier, or the service set identifier.

[0027] In one alternative approach, before sending the first energy-saving request to the first access point, the method further includes: sending an energy-saving capability message to the first access point, the energy-saving capability message being used to report the energy-saving capability of the second access point.

[0028] The beneficial effects achieved by each option in the second aspect can be referred to the beneficial effects achieved by the corresponding option in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0029] Thirdly, this application provides a method for energy-saving interaction at an access point, applied to a first access point in an FTTR network, the first access point being connected to at least one access point in the FTTR network. The method includes: receiving an energy-saving capability message sent by a second access point among the at least one access point, wherein the energy-saving capability message is used to indicate the energy-saving capability of at least one energy-saving object of the second access point; and sending an energy-saving policy message to the second access point, wherein the energy-saving policy message is used to indicate the energy-saving policy of the at least one energy-saving object, and for a target energy-saving object among the at least one energy-saving object, the energy-saving policy of the target energy-saving object matches the energy-saving capability of the target energy-saving object.

[0030] In the scheme shown in this application, within the FTTR network, the second access point reports the energy-saving capabilities of at least one energy-saving object. The first access point determines an energy-saving strategy matching the energy-saving capabilities of the at least one energy-saving object and then instructs the second access point to perform energy-saving processing according to the energy-saving strategy. This not only enables the second access point to perform energy-saving processing but also ensures that the energy-saving strategy matches its own capabilities.

[0031] In one optional approach, the energy-saving capability message includes an identifier of the energy-saving capabilities supported by the at least one energy-saving object, and / or energy-saving strategy content. This allows for a comprehensive reporting of its own energy-saving capabilities.

[0032] In one optional approach, the energy-saving strategy content is used to indicate one or more of the following: bandwidth, transmit power, number of spatial streams, or modulation and coding schemes supported by the at least one energy-saving object. Bandwidth indicates the bandwidth occupied by transmitted data; the smaller the bandwidth occupied when there is no traffic, the lower the power consumption during listening. Transmit power refers to the power used for over-the-air transmission, i.e., Wi-Fi radio frequency transmit power; under limited traffic, the lower the over-the-air transmit power, the lower the power consumption. Under limited traffic and the same over-the-air transmit power, the smaller the number of spatial streams, the lower the power consumption. Modulation and coding scheme, also known as modulation and coding scheme (MCS), is used; under a certain traffic volume, the lower the complexity of the modulation and coding scheme, the lower the power consumption. These factors clearly affect power consumption; therefore, after obtaining this information, the first access point can select an energy-saving state that matches its own characteristics for the second access point.

[0033] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving strategy content is used to indicate the shutdown capability of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the shutdown capability of the target energy-saving object is used to indicate whether the target energy-saving object can be shut down. Thus, if an energy-saving object can be shut down and the shutdown condition is met, directly shutting down the energy-saving object can save more power consumption.

[0034] In an alternative embodiment, the energy-saving strategy content is further used to indicate the shutdown transition time of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the shutdown transition time of the target energy-saving object indicates the duration required for the target energy-saving object to switch from a shutdown state to an operating state. Thus, the shutdown transition time directly reflects the ability to quickly restore the operating state, facilitating the first access point's decision on whether to shut down the energy-saving object.

[0035] In one alternative approach, Wi-Fi radio frequency resources can be included as energy-saving targets because they are easier to manage.

[0036] In an alternative approach, the method further includes sending the energy-saving capability message to the first access point during the Wi-Fi management and control interface (WMCI) initialization phase. This way, since device parameters are reported uniformly during the WMCI initialization phase, the device parameters can be reported together, reducing the number of information exchanges.

[0037] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving control message includes energy-saving level information of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the energy-saving level information is used to indicate the energy-saving strategy.

[0038] In one optional approach, the energy-saving level information includes an identifier of the energy-saving level corresponding to the energy-saving strategy, or the energy-saving level information includes the energy-saving strategy content corresponding to the energy-saving strategy.

[0039] In an alternative approach, the method further includes: a first access point sending an energy-saving capability reporting request to a second access point, the reporting request indicating the need to report energy-saving capabilities. This allows the first access point to request the reporting of energy-saving capabilities.

[0040] Fourthly, this application provides a method for energy-saving interaction at an access point, applied to a second access point in an FTTR network, the second access point being connected to a first access point in the FTTR network. The method includes: sending an energy-saving capability message to the first access point, wherein the energy-saving capability message is used to indicate the energy-saving capability of at least one energy-saving object of the second access point; receiving an energy-saving strategy message sent by the first access point, wherein the energy-saving strategy message is used to indicate the energy-saving strategy of the at least one energy-saving object, and for a target energy-saving object among the at least one energy-saving objects, the energy-saving strategy of the target energy-saving object matches the energy-saving capability of the target energy-saving object; and performing energy-saving processing using the energy-saving strategy.

[0041] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving capability message includes an identifier of the energy-saving capability supported by the at least one energy-saving object, and / or energy-saving strategy content.

[0042] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving strategy content is used to indicate one or more of the following: bandwidth, transmit power, number of spatial streams, or modulation and coding strategies supported by the at least one energy-saving object.

[0043] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving strategy content is used to indicate the shutdown capability of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the shutdown capability of the target energy-saving object is used to indicate whether the target energy-saving object can be shut down.

[0044] In an alternative approach, the energy-saving strategy content is further used to indicate the shutdown transition time of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the shutdown transition time of the target energy-saving object is used to indicate the duration required for the target energy-saving object to switch from a shutdown state to an operating state.

[0045] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving object includes Wi-Fi radio frequency resources.

[0046] In an alternative approach, the method further includes sending the energy-saving capability message to the first access point during the WMCI initialization phase.

[0047] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving control message includes energy-saving level information of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the energy-saving level information is used to indicate the energy-saving strategy.

[0048] In one optional approach, the energy-saving level information includes an identifier of the energy-saving level corresponding to the energy-saving strategy, or the energy-saving level information includes the energy-saving strategy content corresponding to the energy-saving strategy.

[0049] The beneficial effects achieved by each option in the fourth aspect can be referred to the beneficial effects achieved by the corresponding option in the third aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0050] Fifthly, this application provides an access point energy-saving interaction device, which has the function of implementing the first aspect or any optional method of the first aspect described above. The device includes at least one module for implementing the method provided by the first aspect or any optional method of the first aspect.

[0051] Sixthly, this application provides an access point energy-saving interaction device, which has the function of implementing the second aspect or any optional method of the second aspect described above. The device includes at least one module for implementing the method provided by the second aspect or any optional method of the second aspect.

[0052] In a seventh aspect, this application provides an access point, the access point including a processor, a memory, and a communication interface, the processor being configured to execute program instructions in the memory to implement the method provided in the first aspect or any optional manner of the first aspect, and the communication interface being configured to communicate with other devices (e.g., with other access points and sites).

[0053] Eighthly, this application provides an access point, the 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 method provided in the second aspect or any optional method of the second aspect, and the communication interface is used to communicate with other devices (e.g., with other access points and sites).

[0054] Ninthly, this application provides a communication system, the communication system including a first access point and a second access point, the first access point being used to implement the method provided by the first aspect or any optional method of the first aspect, and the second access point being used to implement the method provided by the second aspect or any optional method of the second aspect.

[0055] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program instruction that is read by a processor to cause an access point to perform the method provided in the first aspect or any alternative manner of the first aspect.

[0056] In one aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program instruction that is read by a processor to cause an access point to perform the method provided in the second aspect or any alternative method of the second aspect.

[0057] In a twelfth aspect, this application provides a computer program product including program instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor at an access point reads the program instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the program instructions, causing the access point to perform the method provided in the first aspect or any optional method of the first aspect.

[0058] In a thirteenth aspect, this application provides a computer program product including program instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor at an access point reads the program instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the program instructions, causing the access point to perform the method provided in the second aspect or any alternative method of the second aspect described above.

[0059] The fifth to thirteenth aspects mentioned above can all implement the methods provided by the third aspect or any optional method of the third aspect, or implement the methods provided by the fourth aspect or any optional method of the fourth aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0060] Figure 1 is a network diagram of multiple access points provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an FTTR network provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of access point energy-saving message interaction provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the process of an access point periodically reporting energy-saving statistical information provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the process of an access point actively reporting energy-saving statistical information provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a flowchart illustrating a first access point querying energy-saving statistics of a second access point according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the negotiation process between a first access point and a second access point provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the energy-saving exit process provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of an energy-saving indication provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 10 is a schematic flowchart of an energy-saving instruction provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 11 is a schematic flowchart of an energy-saving instruction provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a format for a message carrying energy-saving status provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of another format of a message carrying energy-saving status provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of another format of a message carrying energy-saving status provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a process for a first access point to query the status of a second access point, provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0075] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of energy-saving message interaction in a WLAN provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 17 is a schematic flowchart of an energy-saving interaction method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the activation of energy-saving features provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the power-saving feature provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access point energy-saving interaction device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access point energy-saving interaction device provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0082] 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.

[0083] In WLANs, multiple access points are deployed to provide users with a better network service experience. These access points have varying coverage areas, and sites can choose the access point with the best signal quality. Currently, energy saving in WLANs primarily focuses on the site itself, with less attention paid to energy saving at the access points. However, as the functions of access points gradually increase, their power consumption becomes a prominent issue. Therefore, reducing the power consumption of access points is crucial.

[0084] In this embodiment of the application, in the WLAN, a first access point is included among multiple access points. The first access point is connected to at least one other access point among the multiple access points. The first access point centrally decides on the energy-saving mechanism of the at least one other access point in order to reduce the power consumption of the access points in the WLAN and minimize the impact of energy saving on the services of the site.

[0085] The application scenarios of the embodiments of this application are described below.

[0086] In a WLAN, multiple access points are included, each being a wireless access point. Among these access points is a first access point, which determines the energy-saving mechanisms of the other access points. The number of other access points can be one or more, but this embodiment does not limit the number. The first access point is designated as the primary access point among the multiple access points. This primary access point can be designated during deployment or selected through negotiation among the multiple access points after deployment. The first access point connects to the other access points. For example, multiple access points, including a first access point, a second access point, and a third access point, as shown in Figure 1(a), constitute an FTTR system. The first access point is the main FTTR unit (MFU), and the second and third access points are sub-FTTR units (SFUs). Sub-FTTR units are also called FTTR sub-devices. The MFU is also called the main optical network unit, and the SFU is also called the sub-optical network unit. The first access point is connected to the second and third access points via an optical distribution network (ODN). As shown in Figure 1(b), the first access point is connected to the second access point via optical fiber, network cable, or power line, and the first access point is connected to the third access point via optical fiber, network cable, or power line. As shown in Figure 1(c), the first access point is wirelessly connected to the second access point, and the first access point is wirelessly connected to the third access point.

[0087] Optionally, in Figure 1(a) above, the FTTR network can be deployed in a home and is considered a home FTTR network, or it can be deployed in an enterprise and is considered an enterprise FTTR network.

[0088] Optionally, the first access point can obtain some information about other access points and make a decision on the energy-saving status of each access point based on the obtained information.

[0089] It should be noted that among multiple access points, the first access point may use the same connection method as the other access points, or the first access point may use different connection methods when connecting to the other access points. For example, the multiple access points may include a first access point, a second access point, and a third access point. The first access point and the second access point may be connected via fiber optic cable, and the first access point and the third access point may be connected via wirelessly.

[0090] Figure 2 illustrates the architecture of an FTTR system. In an FTTR system, the master device acts as an optical network terminal (ONT) in a fiber-to-the-home / office (FTTH / O) network, connecting to the optical line terminal (ODN) via an optical distribution network. Simultaneously, it acts as an upstream device for the slave devices, managing them. Slave devices can be deployed in various rooms of a home or office to provide signal to user terminals. Slave devices possess the functions of an ONT and can also function as wireless access points.

[0091] Multiple slave devices can be deployed in an FTTR system, each connected to the master device via an optical splitter. The master device can manage and configure all slave devices centrally. The master device can also be called a "master gateway," "master optical modem," or "master FTTR device," and the slave devices can also be called "slave gateways," "slave optical modems," or "slave FTTR devices," etc.

[0092] The execution subject of the embodiments of this application is described below.

[0093] The entity implementing the access point energy-saving method in WLAN is the access point energy-saving device in WLAN. Optionally, this device is a hardware device, such as the access point itself. Optionally, this device is a software device, such as a software program running on the access point.

[0094] Before describing the method flow of the embodiments of this application, the states that may be involved in each access point are first described.

[0095] 1. Working Status: When energy-saving preparation is enabled, this refers to the normal working state without energy-saving mode activated (i.e., exiting energy-saving mode). When energy-saving preparation is enabled, energy-saving mode is activated (i.e., entering energy-saving mode). Alternatively, it refers to the normal working state with energy-saving mode activated, but not yet entering a specific energy-saving state. Or, it refers to the working state with energy-saving mode disabled.

[0096] 2. Energy-saving ready state: This refers to a state where energy-saving mode is enabled, but the device has not yet entered an energy-saving state. In this energy-saving ready state, the access point can enter a certain energy-saving state at any time but has not yet done so. Here, the energy-saving ready state is optional; it can directly switch from the working state to a certain energy-saving state, or vice versa.

[0097] 3. Energy-saving status indicates a specific energy-saving strategy or operation. For a given access point, the power consumption saved by that access point varies depending on its energy-saving status, meaning the energy saving amount differs. Different access points may support the same or different energy-saving statuses.

[0098] Optionally, among multiple access points, for a given access point, the access point as a whole corresponds to at least one energy-saving state. Different energy-saving states represent different energy-saving levels, and different energy-saving levels correspond to different energy-saving strategies, achieving different energy-saving extents. For example, as shown in Table 1, the access point corresponds to a first energy-saving state and a second energy-saving state. The first energy-saving state represents energy-saving level 1, which corresponds to energy-saving strategy 1. The second energy-saving state represents energy-saving level 2, which corresponds to energy-saving strategy 2.

[0099] Table 1

[0100] Optionally, among multiple access points, for a specific access point, the access point can be divided according to energy-saving granularity to obtain more fine-grained energy-saving targets. Energy-saving granularity is considered from the dimension of radio frequency resources. Different frequency bands use different radio frequency resources. Different BSSIDs within a frequency band may correspond to the same radio frequency resources or different radio frequency resources. Therefore, energy-saving granularity includes one or more of frequency bands, BSSIDs, or SSIDs. We can consider energy saving for all radio frequency resources of the access point, or we can consider energy saving for a portion of the radio frequency resources, and we can consider using the same or different energy-saving strategies for different radio frequency resources. For example, the 5GHz frequency band corresponds to the first BSSID and the second BSSID. The radio frequency resources corresponding to the first BSSID and the second BSSID are different. Therefore, energy saving can be performed separately for the first BSSID and the second BSSID.

[0101] After the access point is divided into energy-saving objects, the access point can correspond to at least one energy-saving state as a whole. For the target energy-saving state among the at least one energy-saving states, the target energy-saving state is any energy-saving state among the at least one energy-saving states. Under the target energy-saving state, each energy-saving object of the access point corresponds to an energy-saving level. Different energy-saving levels correspond to different energy-saving strategies to achieve different energy-saving ranges.

[0102] For example, when the energy-saving granularity includes frequency bands, the access point includes multiple frequency bands. Under the target energy-saving state, energy-saving levels are set for each of these multiple frequency bands. Specifically, as shown in Table 2, the multiple frequency bands include the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band. In the first energy-saving state of the access point, the 2.4GHz band corresponds to energy-saving level 1, and the 5GHz band corresponds to energy-saving level 2. In the second energy-saving state of the access point, the 2.4GHz band corresponds to energy-saving level 2, and the 5GHz band corresponds to energy-saving level 2. Here, the frequency bands targeted for energy saving can be all or part of the frequency bands of the access point.

[0103] Table 2

[0104] For example, when energy-saving granularity includes BSSIDs, the access point may have multiple BSSIDs. Under the target energy-saving state, energy-saving levels are set for each of these multiple BSSIDs. Specifically, the access point may include multiple frequency bands, with at least one band among them. Each of these at least one band corresponds to multiple BSSIDs. For instance, if the access point is a home optical modem, the 5GHz band may correspond to multiple BSSIDs. These multiple BSSIDs correspond to different radio frequency resources. One BSSID is private and used by internal personnel, while another BSSID is used by external personnel. Alternatively, the 5GHz band may correspond to multiple BSSIDs, with different BSSIDs corresponding to different frequency bands within the 5GHz band. Here, the BSSIDs targeted for energy saving can be all or part of the access point's BSSIDs.

[0105] For example, when the energy-saving granularity includes the SSID, an energy-saving level is set for that SSID. If the access point includes multiple frequency bands, an SSID is set for a portion of those bands. Thus, for that portion of the frequency bands, an SSID is displayed in the site's WLAN list. Here, the SSID used for energy saving can be all or part of the access point's SSIDs.

[0106] Alternatively, after dividing the access point into energy-saving objects, each energy-saving object of the access point corresponds to at least one energy-saving state. For each energy-saving object, different energy-saving states represent different energy-saving levels, and different energy-saving levels correspond to different energy-saving strategies. For example, when the energy-saving granularity includes frequency bands, the access point includes multiple frequency bands, each with corresponding energy-saving states, as shown in Table 3. Assuming these multiple frequency bands include the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band, the 2.4GHz band corresponds to at least one energy-saving state, with different energy-saving levels for different energy-saving states, corresponding to different energy-saving strategies and achieving different energy-saving magnitudes. Similarly, the 5GHz band corresponds to at least one energy-saving state, with different energy-saving levels for different energy-saving states, corresponding to different energy-saving strategies and achieving different energy-saving magnitudes. Here, the frequency bands used as energy-saving objects can be all or part of the frequency bands of the access point.

[0107] Table 3

[0108] In Table 3, the energy-saving strategies for the two frequency bands can be the same or different.

[0109] For example, if the energy-saving granularity includes BSSID, the access point includes multiple BSSIDs, and each BSSID corresponds to an energy-saving status.

[0110] For example, when the energy-saving granularity includes BSSID and frequency band, the access point includes multiple BSSIDs of the first frequency band and the second frequency band. The multiple BSSIDs of the first frequency band correspond to at least one energy-saving state, and the second frequency band corresponds to at least one energy-saving state.

[0111] It should be noted that when one frequency band corresponds to one BSSID, the frequency band and the BSSID are equivalent.

[0112] Optionally, each energy-saving strategy mentioned above includes one or more of the following: energy-saving strategies for the WLAN network, energy-saving strategies for functional modules, or energy-saving strategies for peripheral interfaces. For example, for a certain access point, there may be a first energy-saving state and a second energy-saving state. Compared to the first energy-saving state, the second energy-saving state corresponds to a more advanced energy-saving strategy. In the first energy-saving state, the energy-saving strategy includes the energy-saving strategy for the WLAN network; in the second energy-saving state, the energy-saving strategy includes both the energy-saving strategy for the WLAN network and the energy-saving strategy for the functional modules. Alternatively, in the first energy-saving state, the energy-saving strategy includes the first energy-saving strategy for the WLAN network; in the second energy-saving state, the energy-saving strategy includes the second energy-saving strategy for the WLAN network. The energy-saving effect of the first energy-saving strategy is smaller than that of the second energy-saving strategy.

[0113] Among them, the energy-saving strategies of WLAN networks include one or more of the following: spatial flow, bandwidth, air interface transmit power, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), whether to shut down designated radio frequency resources, low-power snooping, or channel shutdown.

[0114] Energy-saving strategy for spatial flows: This strategy includes the number of spatial flows, which indicates the number of transceiver antenna groups. For example, 1 spatial flow represents 1 transceiver antenna group, 2 spatial flows represent 2 transceiver antenna groups, and so on. Under limited traffic conditions and with the same air interface transmit power, a higher number of spatial flows results in higher power consumption, and vice versa. Different energy-saving levels can be achieved by setting different numbers of spatial flows. Here, when controlling the number of transceiver antenna groups, the energy-saving strategy for WLAN networks includes channels. The number of channels is related to the number of transceiver antenna groups; a single channel corresponds to one transceiver antenna group, dual channels correspond to two transceiver antenna groups, and so on. Therefore, in the energy-saving strategy of WLAN networks, channels can be used to replace spatial flows.

[0115] Bandwidth energy-saving strategies: These strategies involve the bandwidth of the data transmission and reception spectrum. For example, bandwidths of 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, or 160MHz. For a given traffic volume, a larger bandwidth results in higher power consumption, and vice versa. Different bandwidth settings achieve different levels of energy savings. Bandwidth can also be referred to as frequency bandwidth.

[0116] Energy-saving strategy for air interface transmit power: This strategy includes the magnitude of the air interface transmit power, which refers to the power used when transmitting signals. The higher the air interface transmit power, the higher the power consumption, and vice versa. Different levels of energy saving can be achieved by setting different air interface transmit power levels.

[0117] Energy-saving strategies for modulation and coding methods: This energy-saving strategy includes the modulation and coding methods themselves. For a given bandwidth, the more complex the modulation and coding method, the higher the power consumption; conversely, the simpler the modulation and coding method, the lower the power consumption. Different levels of energy saving can be achieved by setting different modulation and coding methods.

[0118] Energy-saving strategies for functional modules: These strategies include one or more energy-saving measures for the central processing unit (CPU), Ethernet modules, optical modules, or system-on-a-chip (SoC) related modules. For example, for the CPU, the number of CPU cores can be adjusted to achieve different levels of energy savings. For Ethernet and optical modules, different levels of energy savings can be achieved by turning them on or off, or by entering a power-saving mode. For SoC-related modules, methods to achieve different levels of energy savings include, but are not limited to: turning sub-service modules on or off, adjusting processing frequencies, turning clocks on or off, switching Double Data Rate (DDR) synchronous dynamic random access memory into or out of low-power mode, or switching the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIE) interface into or out of low-power mode. Sub-service modules include service modules related to the CPU core, and adjusting processing frequencies includes, but is not limited to, adjusting the CPU core's processing frequency, adjusting the interface's processing frequency, or adjusting the bus's processing frequency.

[0119] Power-saving strategies for peripheral interfaces: These strategies include those for Universal Serial Bus (USB) interfaces and / or telephone interfaces. For example, different levels of energy savings can be achieved by turning peripheral interfaces on or off, or by entering a power-saving mode.

[0120] Energy-saving strategies for shutting down specified radio frequency resources: Radio frequency resources can be shut down to save power. For example, radio frequency resources can be shut down in the early morning.

[0121] Energy-saving strategy for low-power listening: A separate low-power channel can be used to listen for data that needs to be received. If data is received, normal data transmission and reception capabilities are enabled; conversely, if data needs to be sent, normal data transmission and reception capabilities are enabled. It is worth noting that there may be a certain transition time when switching from low-power listening mode to normal operating state.

[0122] Transmit / receive strategy with channel closure: The transmit channel can be closed separately, while the receive channel remains open. The transmit channel is then opened when data is detected that needs to be received or sent.

[0123] Optionally, when the access point is saving energy, it can periodically enter a power-saving state, waking up in between to perform necessary operations, such as sending beacon frames. Thus, the power-saving strategy also includes power-saving time and power-saving cycle. Power-saving time is the duration of each entry into the power-saving state, and the power-saving cycle refers to the period of entering the power-saving state. The difference between the two is the duration of exiting the power-saving state. The power-saving cycle can also be understood as the interval between two consecutive entries into the current power-saving state, also known as the periodic wake-up time.

[0124] First, the overall process is described. Refer to steps S11 to S18 in Figure 3. Assume that the WLAN includes multiple access points, including at least a first access point, a second access point, and a third access point. The second access point and the third access point are any access points other than the first access point. Figure 3 uses the energy-saving mechanism of the first access point deciding the second access point as an example for illustration.

[0125] Step S11: The second access point reports its energy-saving capability to the first access point, and the third access point reports its energy-saving capability to the first access point.

[0126] In this embodiment, when the second access point initializes and goes online, it sends an energy-saving capability message to the first access point. This energy-saving capability message indicates the energy-saving capability of the second access point. Similarly, when the third access point initializes and goes online, it sends an energy-saving capability message to the first access point. This energy-saving capability message indicates the energy-saving capability of the third access point.

[0127] The first access point receives the energy-saving capabilities from the second access point and also receives the energy-saving capabilities from the third access point.

[0128] Step S11 belongs to the initialization phase. Step S11 can be an optional step, such as when the energy-saving capabilities of each access point are the same, and it is pre-configured in the first access point.

[0129] Optionally, during the initialization phase, the first access point can also configure some parameters for the second access point and instruct the second and third access points to enable energy-saving functions.

[0130] In step S12, the second and third access points report energy-saving statistics to the first access point.

[0131] In this embodiment, after reporting its energy-saving capabilities, the second access point reports energy-saving statistics to the first access point. Similarly, after reporting its energy-saving capabilities, the third access point reports energy-saving statistics to the first access point. There is no specific order in which the second and third access points report the energy-saving statistics.

[0132] The first access point receives energy-saving statistics from the second access point and the third access point.

[0133] Optionally, before step S12, after receiving the energy-saving capability, the first access point can send a data reporting request to the second and third access points via unicast, broadcast, or multicast.

[0134] Step S12 belongs to the information reporting stage. Step S12 begins at the start of the Nth round of energy saving, where N is greater than or equal to 1.

[0135] Optionally, there may be other stages between steps S11 and S12, such as a synchronization stage.

[0136] Step S13: The second access point sends an energy-saving request to the first access point.

[0137] Step S14: The first access point sends an energy-saving instruction message to the second access point.

[0138] Step S15: The second access point reports energy-saving statistics to the first access point.

[0139] Steps S13 to S14 belong to the energy-saving negotiation stage. Among them, step S14 is an optional step. For example, after the second access point sends an energy-saving request to the first access point, the first access point can directly determine the energy-saving status of the second access point after receiving the energy-saving request, that is, execute step S16.

[0140] Alternatively, steps S13 and S14 can both be optional. For example, the first access point determines the energy-saving status of the second access point based on the energy-saving statistics information sent in step S12, and then issues an energy-saving instruction, i.e., executes step S16.

[0141] Step S15 is also an optional step. For example, if the first access point has enough information to determine the energy-saving status of the second access point, the second access point may not need to report energy-saving statistics.

[0142] Optionally, before step S15, the first access point may also send a data reporting request to the second access point.

[0143] Optionally, in Figure 3, the negotiation phase is initiated by the second access point. In another implementation, the negotiation phase can also be initiated by the first access point. For example, the first access point sends an energy-saving request to the second access point. The second access point may or may not need to reply with an energy-saving indication message. Then, the second access point sends energy-saving statistics information to the first access point (optional processing).

[0144] Step S16: The first access point determines the energy-saving status of the second access point and sends an energy-saving control message to the second access point.

[0145] Among them, the energy-saving control message can be used to instruct the second access point to enter the energy-saving state, or to instruct the second access point to exit the energy-saving state. Exiting the energy-saving state includes exiting the energy-saving mode (i.e., turning off the energy-saving mode) or turning on the energy-saving mode, but not entering a specific energy-saving state.

[0146] Optionally, between steps S16 and S17, while the second access point is in energy-saving mode, the second access point can also report its own service status information to the first access point, and the first access point can decide whether to adjust the energy-saving mode.

[0147] Step S17: The second access point sends an energy-saving exit request to the first access point.

[0148] In this process, the second access point sends an energy-saving exit request to the first access point, indicating that it is exiting the energy-saving state. The first access point then modifies the state of the second access point. The first access point may or may not reply.

[0149] Optionally, the second access point periodically saves energy. In step S17, when the second access point periodically exits the energy-saving state, it sends an energy-saving exit request to the first access point.

[0150] Optionally, during periodic energy saving, the first access point modifies the state of the second access point according to the energy saving cycle configured for the second access point.

[0151] Optionally, the second access point can also proactively exit the energy-saving state after detecting an emergency event.

[0152] Optionally, the energy-saving exit request is the same message as the energy-saving request message in step S13, except that the identifier carried is different, or the energy-saving exit request is a different message from the energy-saving request message in step S13.

[0153] Step S18: The second access point sends service status information back to the first access point.

[0154] Optionally, during periodic energy saving, after the second access point periodically exits the energy-saving state, it sends service status information to the first access point. The first access point uses this service status information to determine whether to adjust the energy-saving state for the next cycle. If adjusted, it sends an energy-saving control message to the second access point; otherwise, it does not send an energy-saving control message. Upon reaching the time point for entering the energy-saving state, the second access point directly enters the energy-saving state of the previous cycle. The reason for this periodic energy saving is that the access point should be periodically woken up to perform some necessary processing.

[0155] Steps S16 to S18 belong to the energy-saving configuration stage.

[0156] After the energy-saving configuration phase ends, the second access point can exit the energy-saving mode, i.e., turn off the energy-saving mode and stop periodically saving energy. The first access point can then decide to start the N+1th round of energy saving. During the N+1th round of energy saving, steps S12 to S18 can be re-executed, or steps S16 to S18 can be re-executed. This application embodiment is not limited.

[0157] Alternatively, after the energy-saving configuration phase is completed, the second access point can switch to another energy-saving state, while the energy-saving mode is still enabled.

[0158] Alternatively, after the energy-saving configuration phase ends, the second access point can exit the energy-saving state and enter the working state or energy-saving preparation state, but the energy-saving mode will still be enabled.

[0159] Optionally, when the energy-saving mode is still enabled, during the N+1th round of energy saving, no negotiation is required, and the first access point can directly issue the energy-saving control message.

[0160] Optionally, the second access point may proactively request to exit the energy-saving mode (this exit from the energy-saving mode is different from the periodic energy-saving exit), and this request to exit the energy-saving mode is generally made after an emergency event. Alternatively, after the first access point decides that the second access point should exit the energy-saving mode, the N+1th round of energy saving begins, that is, steps S12 to S18 are re-executed.

[0161] A detailed description of the process shown in Figure 3 is provided below and will not be repeated here.

[0162] Optionally, in the process shown in Figure 3, the channel through which the first access point interacts with other access points is the Wi-Fi management and control channel, and the messages used are Wi-Fi management and control interface (WMCI) messages. This is just one example; in an FTTR scenario, optical network unit management and control interface (OMCI) messages could also be used.

[0163] The following description follows the message sequence shown in Figure 3, and uses the energy-saving mechanism of the first access point deciding the second access point as an example.

[0164] 1. Energy-saving capability message: This energy-saving capability message is used to indicate the energy-saving capability of the access point.

[0165] In order for the first access point to understand the energy-saving capabilities of the second access point, the second access point sends an energy-saving capability message to the first access point.

[0166] Optionally, during the online initialization phase, the second access point sends an energy-saving capability message to the first access point. This energy-saving capability message indicates the energy-saving capability of the second access point. The first access point receives the energy-saving capability message and obtains the energy-saving capability of the second access point from it.

[0167] Optionally, the first access point stores a mapping between energy-saving capability identifiers and energy-saving capabilities, and the energy-saving capability message includes the energy-saving capability identifier. Alternatively, the energy-saving capability message includes the specific content of the energy-saving capability, which can be found in Table 4.

[0168] Table 4

[0169] In Table 4, the message number is just one example; other identifiers may also be used. Information group 1 indicates the energy-saving capability of an object. The identifier of information group 1 indicates the object to which information group 1 belongs; the identifiers for different information groups are different. For example, information group 1 corresponds to the 2.4GHz frequency band, and the identifier can be an identifier for the 2.4GHz frequency band. As another example, information group 1 corresponds to the low-frequency band of the 5GHz frequency band, and the identifier can be an identifier for the low-frequency band of the 5GHz frequency band.

[0170] The shutdown capability indicator can directly shut down the object to which information 1 belongs. Different identifiers are used to represent whether it can be shut down or not. These identifiers can be arbitrary; for example, a 1 can be used to indicate whether it can be shut down and a 0 can be used to indicate whether it can be shut down or a 0 can be used to indicate whether it can be shut down or a 1 can be used to indicate whether it can be shut down.

[0171] Supported bandwidth can be the maximum supported bandwidth or a list of supported bandwidths. For example, the list of supported bandwidths can be sent in bitmap mode or other modes. When sending in bitmap mode, bit 0 indicates 20MHz, bit 1 indicates 40MHz, bit 2 indicates 80MHz, bit 3 indicates 160MHz, and bits 4 to 7 indicate reserved bandwidth.

[0172] The number of supported spatial streams can be either the maximum number of supported spatial streams or a list of supported spatial streams. For example, the list of supported spatial streams can be sent using bitmap mode or other methods. When sending using bitmap mode, bit 0 indicates the number of spatial streams as 1, bit 1 indicates the number of spatial streams as 2, bit 2 indicates the number of spatial streams as 3, bit 3 indicates the number of spatial streams as 4, and bits 4 to 7 are reserved.

[0173] Supported modulation and coding schemes can be either the highest supported modulation and coding schemes or a list of supported modulation and coding schemes.

[0174] The supported air interface transmit power can be either the maximum supported air interface transmit power or a range of supported transmit power.

[0175] In the indicator bits for supported energy-saving templates, one bit indicates whether the energy-saving template is supported, while the remaining bits indicate the specific energy-saving template used. For example, a bitmap can be used, where bit 0 indicates that the energy-saving template is not supported, bit 1 indicates that the energy-saving template is supported for low-traffic scenarios, bit 2 indicates that the energy-saving template is supported for nighttime scenarios, and bits 3 to 7 are reserved. The parameters in the energy-saving template are the same as one or more parameters in the information group, but with different values. The power consumption corresponding to the energy-saving template for low-traffic scenarios is higher than that corresponding to the energy-saving template for nighttime scenarios.

[0176] Information group 2 indicates the energy-saving capability of another object. For example, information group 1 corresponds to the 2.4 GHz band, and information group 2 corresponds to the 5 GHz band. The content of information group 2 is the same as that of information group 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0177] Optionally, the identifier for information group 1 can be a BSSID or SSID, or a radio unique identifier (RUID). For example, when the objects corresponding to information group 1 do not share radio resources, the identifier can be a BSSID or SSID; when the objects corresponding to information group 1 share radio resources, the identifier is the RUID of that radio resource.

[0178] It should be noted that for each access point, the specific content of its energy-saving capability includes at least one information group. The content of each information group is selectable; it can be partially or fully reported. The above are only optional sending methods; other sending methods can also be used, and the number of bytes can be set according to actual needs. This application embodiment does not limit this. For example, the second access point may have multiple energy-saving capabilities, each with a unique identifier. The second access point can send the energy-saving capability identifier to the first access point, and the first access point uses this identifier to find the specific energy-saving capability.

[0179] It should also be noted that the identifier of the second access point may not be included in Table 4, because the outer encapsulation of the energy-saving capability message will carry the identifier of the second access point.

[0180] 2. The second access point reports data.

[0181] The first access point obtains energy-saving statistics from other access points to help determine the energy-saving status of the second access point.

[0182] In one alternative approach, there are several ways for the first access point to obtain energy-saving statistics from the second access point. Three feasible methods are provided below.

[0183] Method 1: The second access point periodically reports energy-saving statistics to the first access point. The specific process is shown in steps S21 to S26 in Figure 4.

[0184] In step S21, the first access point sends a data reporting request to the second access point, which instructs the second access point to periodically send energy-saving statistics information to the first access point.

[0185] In this embodiment, after initiating data collection, the first access point sends a data reporting request via unicast, multicast, or broadcast. The data reporting request includes reporting requirements, which include the content of data to be reported periodically. This content includes the number or designated identifier of the data to be reported. The designated identifier is used to indicate the specific data to be reported. If the number or designated identifier of the data to be reported periodically is not included, it means that all data needs to be reported. The data to be reported can be determined by the negotiation between the first access point and the second access point.

[0186] Optionally, the reporting requirement may also include an identifier for full reporting or an identifier for incremental reporting. When the identifier for full reporting is included, the second access point is instructed to send all energy-saving statistics for the previous period. When the identifier for incremental reporting is included, the second access point is instructed to send energy-saving statistics that have changed in the energy-saving statistics for the previous period.

[0187] Optionally, the data reporting request may also include suggested threshold values ​​for the data to be reported, such as reporting thresholds for service traffic and temperature. The service traffic reporting threshold includes two thresholds: a high traffic threshold (indicating traffic above this threshold should be reported) and a low traffic threshold (indicating traffic below this threshold should be reported). The high traffic threshold is greater than the low traffic threshold. Similarly, the temperature reporting threshold includes two thresholds: a high temperature threshold (indicating temperature above this threshold should be reported) and a low temperature threshold (indicating temperature below this threshold should be reported). When reporting, users can choose to report specific values ​​directly or events. Alternatively, the data reporting request may not include suggested threshold values, and the second access point can determine the thresholds itself.

[0188] Optionally, the recommended threshold value can be negotiated during the initialization phase or specified.

[0189] Optionally, the data reporting request may also include a data reporting cycle value, instructing the second access point to report energy-saving statistics according to this cycle value. This cycle value can be set according to actual needs. For example, the cycle value could be 2 hours or 10 seconds.

[0190] Here, the periodic value may not be included in the data reporting request. It can be negotiated between the first access point and the second access point during the initialization phase, or it can be decided by the second access point itself.

[0191] Optionally, after sending the data reporting request, a data reporting modification request can also be sent to the second access point to modify the content of the data to be reported and / or change the period value. For example, the period value can be decreased when state transitions are frequent, and increased when state transitions are infrequent.

[0192] Step S22: The second access point receives the data reporting request.

[0193] In this embodiment, after receiving the data reporting request, the second access point obtains the period value and the content of the data to be reported from the data reporting request.

[0194] Step S23: The second access point periodically sends energy-saving statistics information to the first access point.

[0195] In this embodiment, whenever the reporting cycle is reached, the second access point collects its own energy-saving statistics according to the data content indicated by the data reporting request and sends the energy-saving statistics to the first access point.

[0196] In this way, once the first access point sends a data reporting request, the second access point can periodically report energy-saving statistics.

[0197] Optionally, the energy-saving statistics include statistical data obtained from the operation of the second access point itself and / or some data from associated sites.

[0198] Step S24: The first access point receives energy-saving statistics information sent by the second access point.

[0199] Step S25: The first access point sends a pause message for data reporting to the second access point.

[0200] In this embodiment, the first access point may not need to collect energy-saving statistics from the second access point under certain circumstances, and the first access point may send a pause message for data reporting to the second access point. For example, if the second access point no longer performs energy-saving processing, the first access point does not need to collect energy-saving statistics from the second access point. If the first access point decides that the second access point is in working condition, the first access point determines that the second access point will no longer perform energy-saving processing.

[0201] Optionally, the pause message for data reporting can be sent via broadcast, multicast, or unicast.

[0202] Optionally, data reporting requests and data reporting pause messages can be implemented using different messages, or they can be implemented using the same message, such as using an indicator bit to indicate whether it is a data reporting request or a pause message. Alternatively, the pause message can also be implemented by adding a field to other existing messages.

[0203] In step S26, the second access point receives the pause message and suspends the reporting of energy-saving statistics.

[0204] In this embodiment, after receiving the pause message, the second access point no longer periodically reports energy-saving statistics.

[0205] The process of other access points reporting energy-saving statistics is the same as the process of the second access point reporting energy-saving statistics, and will not be repeated in this application embodiment.

[0206] It should be noted that Figure 4 illustrates the example of the first access point sending a data reporting request to the second access point. In another implementation, a data reporting request may not be sent; instead, the second access point periodically sends energy-saving statistics to the first access point after it comes online. Steps S25 and S26 in Figure 4 are optional. For example, the data reporting request may include a transmission duration; after the transmission duration ends, the second access point automatically stops sending energy-saving statistics.

[0207] Method 2: The second access point actively reports energy-saving statistics to the first access point. For the specific process, please refer to steps S31 to S32 in Figure 5.

[0208] Step S31: After a critical event occurs, the second access point sends energy-saving statistics information to the first access point.

[0209] In this embodiment, key events are recorded in the second access point. These key events refer to events that affect state decisions. For example, key events include one or more of the following: performance degradation, cache exceeding a high traffic threshold or falling below another low traffic threshold, temperature exceeding a high temperature threshold or falling below another low temperature threshold, new associated sites, sites adding low-latency services, or a sudden increase in service traffic at a site. After detecting a key event, the second access point sends energy-saving statistics related to the key event to the first access point.

[0210] Optionally, the critical event can be sent from the first access point to the second access point. For example, the first access point sends a data reporting request to the second access point, which includes a description of the critical event.

[0211] Optionally, the second access point can also send the content of key events to the first access point, so that the processing performed by the first access point after receiving the energy-saving statistics corresponds to the key events.

[0212] Optionally, the critical event may also include the second access point sending an energy-saving capability message to the first access point, or the critical event may also include receiving an energy-saving instruction message from the first access point, or the critical event may also include the second access point sending an energy-saving request to the first access point.

[0213] Optionally, the energy-saving statistics reported in Figure 5 are a supplement to the energy-saving statistics reported in Figure 4. Thus, the energy-saving statistics reported in Figure 5 can be considered as assisting the first access point in deciding the state of the second access point.

[0214] Step S32: The first access point receives the energy-saving statistics information.

[0215] In this embodiment, after receiving the energy-saving statistics, the first access point uses the energy-saving statistics to determine the status of the second access point, or to determine whether the status of the second access point has changed.

[0216] In the process shown in Figure 5, after a critical event occurs, the second access point proactively sends energy-saving statistics to the first access point. In another implementation, the second access point proactively sends energy-saving statistics to the first access point after going online. For example, after the second access point sends an energy-saving capability message to the first access point, it then sends energy-saving statistics to the first access point.

[0217] Method 3: The first access point actively queries the second access point for certain data. The specific process is shown in steps S41 to S44 in Figure 6.

[0218] Step S41: The first access point sends a data query request to the second access point.

[0219] In this embodiment, when the first access point needs certain data from the second access point for auxiliary judgment, it can send a data query request to the second access point. The data query request indicates the data content to be queried. For example, the first access point obtains information such as the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of a site from the second access point. When the RSSI of a site is low, it indicates that the site may have left the second access point, and the second access point may also enter a certain energy-saving state.

[0220] Step S42: The second access point receives the data query request.

[0221] Step S43: The second access point sends the data query request to the first access point for the energy-saving statistics information.

[0222] Step S44: The first access point receives the energy-saving statistics information.

[0223] It should be noted that in Method 3, each time the second access point reports energy-saving statistics, the first access point sends a data query request to the second access point. Alternatively, based on the process shown in Figure 4 and / or Figure 5, the first access point may temporarily obtain some data that is helpful for decision-making.

[0224] Optionally, after receiving an energy-saving request from the second access point, the first access point may initiate the process of collecting energy-saving statistics. The initiation of this process is not sequential with the first access point sending an energy-saving instruction message to the second access point. For example, after receiving the energy-saving request from the second access point, the first access point may send a data reporting request to the second access point.

[0225] The processes shown in Figures 4 to 6 can occur at any stage after the initialization phase in the process shown in Figure 3; this embodiment of the application does not limit this. For example, after receiving an energy-saving instruction message from the first access point, the second access point reports energy-saving statistics to the first access point. Another example is when the second access point is in energy-saving mode, it reports energy-saving statistics to the first access point. Yet another example is when the second access point exits energy-saving mode, it reports energy-saving statistics to the first access point.

[0226] Optionally, among the above methods, the energy-saving statistical information includes one or more of the following: site information, business information, temperature information, or business status information.

[0227] The site information includes one or more of the following: site association information on the second access point, perception information of the second access point for unassociated sites, frequency bands used by the sites, traffic information of the sites, or air interface information of the sites. The air interface information of the sites is used to obtain the service status and condition of each site associated with the second access point. The air interface information includes one or more of the following: sleep information, link-related information, or supported transmit / receive parameters of at least one site associated with the access point. The sleep information includes statistics related to the site's power saving mode (PSM). The link-related information includes statistics related to the site's multi-link connectivity. The transmit / receive parameters include one or more of the following: spatial streams supported by the site, bandwidth supported by the site, or modulation and coding schemes supported by the site.

[0228] Optionally, the site association information and the site air interface information of the second access point can be sent together, as shown in Table 5.

[0229] Table 5

[0230] In Table 5, each site information group corresponds to one site, and different site information groups correspond to different sites. The number of sites associated with the second access point is the number of site information groups in Table 5. The frequency band used by the site is identified using BSSID. The values ​​of E, F, and G are all different. For example, E, F, and G can be 0 to 2, all integers, or other values, such as E, F, and G being 0, 1, and 2 respectively. This embodiment of the application does not impose limitations. In Table 5, only the site's MAC address or the site's AID can be sent, or both can be sent.

[0231] The number of spatial streams supported by a site can be obtained from the Operating Mode Indication (OMI) message or the Spatial Multiplexing Power Saving (SMPS) message. The first access point can use this number of spatial streams to determine the number of spatial streams used by the second access point, so that the number of spatial streams of the second access point is the same as or close to the number of spatial streams of the site.

[0232] Optionally, if the number of spatial streams supported by the site is all a specified value, it means that the number of spatial streams supported by the site has not been obtained. For example, the specified value is 1 or 0.

[0233] The average sleep interval, average sleep duration, or percentage of sleep duration of a site are used to indicate the site's hibernation level. This hibernation level is used by the first access point to determine the energy efficiency of the second access point, so that the energy efficiency is matched as closely as possible to the site's hibernation level.

[0234] Optionally, PSM sleep-related statistics for the site can be obtained from TWT scheduling-related statistics.

[0235] The bandwidth and modulation and coding scheme supported by the site can be obtained from the OMI message, which is used by the first access point to decide the bandwidth and modulation and coding scheme adopted by the second access point.

[0236] Optionally, if the bandwidth and modulation and encoding methods supported by the site are all specified by a single value, it indicates that the information has not been obtained. For example, the specified value could be 1 or 0.

[0237] In the multi-link related statistics of a site, multi-link transmission methods include redundant transmission and aggregated transmission. Redundant transmission indicates that multiple links are sending the same data, suggesting a desire to complete data transmission correctly as quickly as possible, and that the data has high latency requirements, such as game data. Aggregated transmission indicates that there is a large volume of data to be sent.

[0238] Optionally, two identifiers are used to indicate whether multi-link transmission is used or not. Two identifiers are also used to indicate whether redundant transmission is used or aggregate transmission is used. These two identifiers are not the same. For example, one identifier is 0 and the other is 1, or one identifier is 1 and the other is 0.

[0239] Optionally, bits x through z represent different bits. For example, bit x is bit 7, bit y is bit 6, and bit z is bits 5 through 0. This is merely an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments described in this application.

[0240] EDCA queue statistics are used to indicate the priority of uplink data, so that the first access point can determine whether there is high-priority data being sent to the first access point from the site.

[0241] It should be noted that the content in Table 5 is only an example. For instance, the number of stations may not be sent, and the number of station information groups may reflect the number of stations. Alternatively, EDCA queue statistics may not be sent. The bit positions and the number of bytes occupied in Table 5 are only possible examples, and this application does not limit them.

[0242] It should also be noted that the reason for the existence of a site association identifier is that since a site's MAC address may be randomly accessed and may not be unique, a site association identifier is also required. When a site's MAC address is unique, the association identifier does not need to be reported.

[0243] The second access point's perception information for unassociated sites includes the target site's RSSI strength and MAC address. Target sites include those detected by the second access point that are not currently connected to it. This perception information can be used to determine whether a site will roam or prepare for access, etc.

[0244] Optionally, the site's AID or the site's MAC address can be used; either the site's AID or the site's MAC address can be used.

[0245] Optionally, the site information may also include the main channel used by the site and / or the type of equipment at the site. The type of equipment at the site includes mobile terminal types and IoT terminal types, etc.

[0246] Optionally, the site's traffic information may be reported in the format of Table 6.

[0247] Table 6

[0248] In Table 6, each site cache group includes traffic information for one site, and different site cache groups indicate traffic information for different sites. For uplink service cache volume, the second access point can obtain the uplink service cache volume from the site. The high-priority service indication can also indicate the number and type of high-priority services. Optionally, high-priority services may include latency-sensitive services, etc.

[0249] Optionally, the type of high-priority service can be identified by the second access point itself or obtained from the site.

[0250] Optionally, the service information includes one or more of the following: service type of the second access point, average service traffic, whether there is service traffic with a specified service identifier at the second access point, downlink service buffer size, uplink service buffer size, or the relationship between the service traffic of the second access point and the traffic threshold. Here, service type refers to the type of service to which the data transmitted by the second access point belongs.

[0251] Average traffic includes downlink average traffic and / or uplink average traffic. Uplink refers to the direction of transmission from the second access point to the first access point, and downlink refers to the direction of transmission from the second access point to the site.

[0252] The traffic for services with designated service identifiers mainly includes latency-sensitive services, high-traffic services, or low-traffic services. Among them, latency-sensitive services can be considered as services with low latency requirements, and high-traffic services can be called high-traffic services.

[0253] The relationship between service traffic and traffic thresholds includes: downlink traffic exceeding the first traffic threshold, downlink traffic falling below the second traffic threshold, uplink traffic exceeding the third traffic threshold, or uplink traffic falling below the fourth traffic threshold, or one or more of these conditions; the first traffic threshold being greater than the second traffic threshold; the third traffic threshold being greater than the fourth traffic threshold; the first and third traffic thresholds being the same or different; and the second and fourth traffic thresholds being the same or different. When traffic exceeds a certain threshold, it indicates high traffic volume, requiring minor energy saving or no energy saving. When traffic falls below a certain threshold, it indicates low traffic volume, allowing for deep energy saving.

[0254] Alternatively, the relationship between business traffic and traffic thresholds includes: the total traffic exceeds the fifth traffic threshold and / or the total traffic is lower than the sixth traffic threshold, where the total traffic is the sum of uplink traffic and downlink traffic, and the fifth traffic threshold is greater than the sixth traffic threshold.

[0255] See Table 7 for the optional methods of sending business information.

[0256] Table 7

[0257] In Table 7, the object to which Service Information Group 1 belongs can be the entire second access point or an energy-saving object of the second access point. For example, the object to which Service Information Group 1 belongs is the 2.4GHz frequency band, and the identifier of the object to which Service Information Group 1 belongs is the BSSID of the 2.4GHz frequency band. Table 7 is only one optional transmission method, and this application embodiment does not limit it. For example, the uplink Tid bitmap is not sent, and only an identifier indicating whether a high-priority service exists is sent.

[0258] Optionally, the business information group 1 may also include an interference matrix.

[0259] Optionally, the service status information includes one or more of the following: data transmission status, data reception status, or service latency information. Data transmission status includes one or more of the following: number of successful transmissions, number of failed transmissions, retransmission rate, packet error rate, or packet loss rate. Data reception status includes the number of successful receptions and / or the packet error rate.

[0260] Optionally, the service status information may also include air interface transmission and reception information, including one or more of the following: average transmission air interface duration, average reception air interface duration, or air interface interference duty cycle.

[0261] For the optional methods of sending service status information, please refer to Table 8.

[0262] Table 8

[0263] In Table 8, the time periods corresponding to various data points can be the same or different; when they are the same, they can all be periodic values ​​reported in the energy-saving statistics. Roaming delay does not exist in the absence of roaming.

[0264] For a PPDU, one PPDU includes at least one MPDU. After the second access point sends a PPDU to the station, the station will send an acknowledgment message upon successful reception. Therefore, the second access point will wait for a period of time to see if it receives the acknowledgment message. If it does not receive it, it will retransmit the PPDU. This process continues until multiple retransmissions are completed and an acknowledgment message is still not received. If the station receives a PPDU but fails to receive a specific MPDU, it will send a request to the second access point to retransmit the MPDU. The second access point will retransmit the MPDU until the station successfully receives it and then sends an acknowledgment message. If the station still fails to receive the MPDU after multiple retransmissions, it will terminate the transmission of that MPDU.

[0265] Successful transmission count refers to the number of PPDUs that received acknowledgment messages. Failed transmission count refers to the number of PPDUs that did not receive acknowledgment messages.

[0266] The retransmission rate can be the retransmission rate of PPDUs sent from the second access point to the site. There are several ways to calculate the retransmission rate. For example, the retransmission rate is equal to the number of retransmissions divided by the total number of transmissions, with each retransmission counting once. Another example is that the retransmission rate is equal to the number of retransmitted PPDUs divided by the total number of PPDU transmissions.

[0267] Optionally, the retransmission rate may also include the retransmission rate of PPDUs sent by the site to the second access point, which may be reported by the site to the second access point.

[0268] The packet error rate is equal to the number of MPDUs retransmitted by the second access point divided by the total number of MPDUs sent.

[0269] Optionally, the packet error rate may also include the packet error rate of the MPDU sent by the site to the second access point, which may be reported by the site to the second access point.

[0270] It should be noted that while all the content in Table 8 is selectable, only the portion that is most helpful for decision-making can be sent during actual transmission. For example, only one or more of the following can be sent: retransmission rate, transmission error rate, reception error rate, or service latency.

[0271] A high retransmission rate indicates poor network quality, meaning that energy saving should not continue or the energy-saving state needs to be exited. A high packet error rate and / or a high packet error rate indicates poor network quality, meaning that energy saving should not continue or the energy-saving state needs to be exited, or the system needs to be adjusted to another energy-saving state to improve transmission performance. High service latency also indicates poor network quality, meaning that energy saving should not continue or the system needs to be exited, or the system needs to be adjusted to another energy-saving state to improve transmission performance.

[0272] Optionally, business status information may be sent separately from energy-saving statistics.

[0273] Optionally, the temperature information includes the average temperature of the second access point over a period of time, whether the temperature exceeds a high temperature threshold, or whether the temperature is below a low temperature threshold, wherein the high temperature threshold is higher than the low temperature threshold. Specifically, exceeding the high temperature threshold or falling below the low temperature threshold constitutes a temperature warning.

[0274] The temperature information can be for the second access point as a whole (such as the temperature of the second access point's casing), or it can be for a specific chip within the second access point. Alternatively, the temperature information can also be the temperature sensed by the circuit board within the second access point.

[0275] Optionally, the energy-saving statistics may also include some non-WLAN related information, such as the status information of one or more of the Ethernet interface, telephone interface or USB interface, which includes the interface occupancy status and / or traffic volume.

[0276] Optionally, this non-WLAN-related information may also include whether anyone is present or moving near the access point. For example, a sensor may be installed on the access point to detect this. This non-WLAN-related information can also be used to assist in determining energy-saving status.

[0277] In this embodiment of the application, the energy-saving statistics information may also include the energy-saving status.

[0278] 3. Negotiation process.

[0279] The following describes the handshake process between the first access point and the second access point, which can also be called a negotiation process. Before deciding on energy saving for the second access point, the first access point initiates a handshake with the second access point, and after the handshake, instructs the second access point to save energy. The first access point and the second access point can enter energy-saving mode or exit energy-saving mode through a handshake.

[0280] 1) The second access point enters energy-saving mode.

[0281] In one alternative approach, the second access point triggers a handshake process, as shown in steps S51 to S52 of Figure 7. Figure 7 illustrates the process by which the second access point requests to enter power-saving mode.

[0282] In step S51, the second access point sends an energy-saving request to the first access point, and the first access point receives the energy-saving request sent by the second access point.

[0283] In this embodiment, the second access point determines whether to save energy based on its own status. After determining to save energy, it sends a power-saving request to the first access point, indicating an application to enter power-saving mode. For example, the second access point determines whether to save energy based on the site information of the currently associated sites. This site information includes one or more of the following: the number of sites, site traffic information, perception information of unassociated sites, or site power-saving information. Several examples are as follows: Example 1: The second access point determines that the current service traffic is less than a first value and sends a power-saving request to the first access point; Example 2: The second access point determines the number of currently associated sites. If this number is less than a second value, it sends a power-saving request to the first access point; Example 3: The second access point determines that the current service traffic is less than the first value and that the number of currently associated sites is less than the second value, and sends a power-saving request to the first access point; Example 4: The second access point determines that the current service traffic is low, and that there are no high-priority or latency-sensitive services in the current service, and sends a power-saving request to the first access point. Example 5: The second access point determines that the proportion of currently associated sites in energy-saving mode exceeds the proportion threshold, and the number of currently associated sites is less than the number threshold, and sends an energy-saving request to the first access point.

[0284] Alternatively, the second access point periodically sends a power-saving request to the first access point. This power-saving request includes an indicator indicating whether to enter power-saving mode. For example, the second access point periodically determines whether to save power based on its own status and sends a power-saving request to the first access point. When it determines to save power, the power-saving request carries a first identifier; when it determines not to save power, the power-saving request carries a second identifier. The first identifier is 0 and the second identifier is 1, or the first identifier is 1 and the second identifier is 0.

[0285] Alternatively, the second access point may determine, based on historical site access information and / or historical service information, that there are periods with low service traffic and / or a low number of associated sites. Upon entering that period, the second access point sends a power-saving request to the first access point, indicating an intention to enter power-saving mode. For example, at 23:00, the second access point sends a power-saving request to the first access point.

[0286] Optionally, the process shown in Figure 7 can be sent after the energy-saving capability message is sent.

[0287] Optionally, the energy-saving request can indicate not only whether to apply to enter the energy-saving mode, but also the energy-saving status of the second access point.

[0288] Optionally, the energy-saving request to enter energy-saving mode and the energy-saving exit request sent by the second access point are the same message. See Table 9 for the content of the energy-saving request.

[0289] Table 9

[0290] In Table 9, the identifier of the second access point is optional. For example, if the message is encapsulated with the identifier of the second access point, it is not necessary to carry the identifier of the second access point here.

[0291] Identifier A1 and identifier A2 can be any different values. For example, identifier A1 can be 0 and identifier A2 can be 1, or identifier A1 can be 1 and identifier A2 can be 0.

[0292] Identifiers B1 and B2 can be any different values. For example, identifier B1 can be 0 and identifier B2 can be 1, or identifier B1 can be 1 and identifier B2 can be 0.

[0293] Table 9 is just one example. Other possible interpretations include: C1 indicating that the second access point exits energy-saving mode; C2 indicating that the second access point exits energy-saving mode and exits energy-saving mode urgently; and C3 indicating that the second access point requests to enter energy-saving mode.

[0294] Alternatively, the energy-saving capability message mentioned above can also be the same message as the energy-saving request.

[0295] In step S52, the first access point sends an energy-saving indication message to the second access point. This message instructs the second access point to enter or exit energy-saving mode. The second access point receives the energy-saving indication message from the first access point.

[0296] In this embodiment, after receiving a power-saving request from the second access point, if the first access point determines that the second access point is saving power, it sends a power-saving indication message to the second access point, which instructs the second access point to enter power-saving mode. For example, the power-saving indication message carries an identifier A2, which indicates entering power-saving mode. If it determines that the second access point is exiting power-saving mode, it sends a power-saving indication message to the second access point, which instructs the second access point to exit power-saving mode. For example, the power-saving indication message carries an identifier A1, which indicates exiting power-saving mode. As another example, if the second access point, while in a certain power-saving state, wishes to immediately exit power-saving mode, it sends a power-saving request to the first access point, indicating that it is exiting power-saving mode. After the first access point agrees, it sends a power-saving indication message carrying identifier A1 to the second access point.

[0297] Optionally, when the second access point requests an emergency exit from energy-saving mode, the first access point responds immediately.

[0298] Optionally, when the second access point requests to exit the energy-saving mode, the first access point may choose not to send an energy-saving instruction message to the second access point after receiving the energy-saving request sent by the second access point.

[0299] Optionally, the first access point can determine whether the second access point enters or exits energy-saving mode based on the energy-saving statistics of the second access point. For example, if the first access point determines that data exceeding a third value is being sent to the second access point, it determines that the second access point should not save energy; otherwise, it determines that the second access point should enter energy-saving mode. As another example, if the first access point determines that a site is about to roam to the second access point, it determines that the second access point should exit energy-saving mode to better provide network services to the site; otherwise, it determines that the second access point should enter energy-saving mode.

[0300] Optionally, when the first access point sends an energy-saving indication message to the second access point, it can use unicast, multicast, or broadcast. Multicast can also be called multi-cast. For example, when using multicast or broadcast, the energy-saving indication message includes an identifier indicating whether each of the multiple access points is energy-saving, including the second access point.

[0301] Optionally, the content of the energy-saving instruction message is shown in Table 10.

[0302] Table 10

[0303] In Table 10, the identifier of the second access point is optional. For example, the outer encapsulation of the message contains the identifier of the second access point, but it is not necessary to carry the identifier of the second access point here.

[0304] Identifier A3 and identifier A4 can be any different values. For example, identifier A3 can be 0 and identifier A4 can be 1, or identifier A3 can be 1 and identifier A4 can be 0.

[0305] Identifiers B3 and B4 can be any different values. For example, identifier B3 can be 0 and identifier B4 can be 1, or identifier B3 can be 1 and identifier B4 can be 0.

[0306] Table 10 is just one example. Other examples could be D1 indicating that the second access point enters energy-saving mode, D2 indicating that the second access point exits energy-saving mode, and D3 indicating that the second access point exits energy-saving mode and exits energy-saving mode urgently.

[0307] In this embodiment, the second access point receives an energy-saving instruction message sent by the first access point. If identifier A4 is parsed from the energy-saving instruction message, some energy-saving preparation operations are performed, which is equivalent to entering the energy-saving preparation state. If identifier A3 is parsed from the energy-saving instruction message, no processing is performed. Here, if no operation is required before entering the energy-saving state, the second access point does not need to perform any operation after receiving the energy-saving instruction message.

[0308] Optionally, after receiving an energy-saving instruction message, if the message instructs the second access point to enter energy-saving mode, the second access point sends energy-saving statistics to the first access point. These statistics include energy-saving data for the most recent period of time. The first access point receives the energy-saving statistics and determines the status of the second access point based on this information.

[0309] It should be noted that in Figure 7, after receiving an energy-saving request, the first access point sends an energy-saving instruction message to the second access point to control whether the second access point enters or exits the energy-saving mode. In another implementation, after receiving an energy-saving request, the first access point can instruct the second access point to save energy by sending an energy-saving instruction message (described later) to the second access point. For example, sending an energy-saving instruction message to the second access point indicates that the second access point is entering the energy-saving mode; not sending such a message indicates that the second access point is exiting the energy-saving mode.

[0310] In another alternative approach, the first access point proactively decides whether the second access point should enter energy-saving mode; that is, the first access point sends an energy-saving request to the second access point. The second access point then sends an energy-saving instruction message to the first access point to indicate whether it wants to enter energy-saving mode. If it does, the first access point can send specific energy-saving status information to the second access point.

[0311] Optionally, after sending the energy-saving instruction message, the second access point also sends energy-saving statistics to the first access point, so that the first access point can use the energy-saving statistics to determine the energy-saving status.

[0312] 2) The second access point exits the energy-saving mode.

[0313] In one alternative approach, when the second access point periodically saves energy, the second access point can periodically send an energy-saving request to the first access point. This energy-saving request indicates an exit from energy-saving mode and carries the identifier A1. The first access point may or may not reply upon receiving the request.

[0314] Alternatively, if the second access point, while in a power-saving mode, experiences an emergency and needs to immediately exit power-saving mode, the power-saving request sent to the first access point must include identifier A1 and identifier B2. Such events include, but are not limited to: a newly associated site, the addition of a latency-sensitive service, or receiving a large amount of data from a site.

[0315] Optionally, if an energy-saving request indicates an emergency exit, the second access point immediately exits the energy-saving state and communicates with the first access point to send an energy-saving request and report the reason for the emergency exit.

[0316] In another alternative approach, the first access point decides that the second access point is no longer energy-saving, and the first access point instructs the second access point to exit the energy-saving process, see steps S101 to S103 in Figure 8.

[0317] Step S101: The first access point sends an energy-saving exit request to the second access point.

[0318] In this embodiment, the first access point determines that the second access point has exited the energy-saving mode and sends a request to the second access point to exit the energy-saving mode.

[0319] In one optional approach, the first access point determines whether the second access point should exit energy-saving mode based on the energy-saving statistics of the second access point; alternatively, the first access point determines whether the second access point should exit energy-saving mode based on the energy-saving statistics of both the second and third access points; or, the first access point determines whether the second access point should exit energy-saving mode if it detects a large amount of data being sent to it. Alternatively, the first access point may detect that a site is about to roam to the second access point and determines whether the second access point should exit energy-saving mode.

[0320] The method for determining the exit of the energy-saving mode of the second access point based on energy-saving statistics is the same as the method for determining the energy-saving status of the second access point based on energy-saving statistics mentioned earlier, and will not be repeated here.

[0321] Optionally, the energy-saving exit request can be the same message as the energy-saving instruction message mentioned above, see Table 10.

[0322] Optionally, if the first access point detects that the second access point needs to urgently exit the energy-saving mode while the second access point is in energy-saving mode, it fills in the emergency exit field to indicate an emergency exit. For example, this event includes, but is not limited to: determining that a site has roamed to the second access point, or that a large amount of data from an optical line terminal is being sent to the second access point.

[0323] Optionally, if the energy-saving exit request indicates an emergency exit, the second access point immediately exits the energy-saving mode and communicates with the first access point to understand the reason for the emergency exit.

[0324] In step S102, the second access point receives the energy-saving exit request.

[0325] Step S103: The second access point exits the energy-saving mode.

[0326] In this embodiment, after receiving the energy-saving exit request, the second access point immediately exits the energy-saving mode.

[0327] Optionally, the emergency exit field of the energy-saving exit request indicates that an emergency exit is required. The second access point immediately exits the energy-saving mode and communicates with the first access point to understand the reason for the emergency exit.

[0328] Optionally, after receiving the energy-saving exit request, the second access point can also send a response message to the first access point to indicate that it exits the energy-saving mode.

[0329] Optionally, the energy-saving request, energy-saving instruction message, and request to exit energy-saving mode are the same message, with different identifiers added to distinguish them.

[0330] Table 11

[0331] Among them, when the first access point instructs the second access point to exit the energy-saving mode, it can also instruct the second access point to report the energy-saving status after exiting the energy-saving mode.

[0332] The above energy-saving exit request is an example of exiting the energy-saving mode. Alternatively, the energy-saving exit request may indicate that the energy-saving state has been exited, but the energy-saving mode has not actually been exited. In this case, there is no need to apply to enter the energy-saving mode before entering the energy-saving state again.

[0333] Optionally, exiting the energy-saving state includes exiting to the working state, exiting to another energy-saving state, or exiting to the energy-saving preparation state.

[0334] 4. Energy saving indicator.

[0335] Figure 9 provides a schematic diagram of energy-saving indication, see steps S71 to S73 in Figure 9.

[0336] Step S71: The first access point sends an energy-saving request to the second access point.

[0337] In step S72, the second access point receives the energy-saving request and sends an energy-saving instruction message to the first access point.

[0338] The processes of steps S71 and S72 are described in Figure 7 and will not be repeated here.

[0339] In step S73, the first access point sends a first energy-saving control message to the second access point, wherein the first energy-saving control message is used to instruct the second access point to enter a first energy-saving state.

[0340] In this embodiment, the first access point determines that the energy-saving state of the second access point is the first energy-saving state, and the first access point sends an energy-saving control message to the second access point. For ease of description, this energy-saving control message is referred to as the first energy-saving control message.

[0341] In one alternative approach, before the first access point sends the first energy-saving control message to the second access point, the second access point may be in an operating state, an energy-saving preparation state, or an energy-saving state different from the first energy-saving state.

[0342] The second access point receives the first energy-saving control message sent by the first access point and performs the operation of entering the first energy-saving state.

[0343] Figure 10 provides a schematic diagram of another energy-saving indicator, see steps S71 to S74 in Figure 10.

[0344] Step S71: The second access point sends an energy-saving request to the first access point.

[0345] In step S72, the first access point receives the energy-saving request and sends an energy-saving instruction message to the second access point, and the first access point receives the energy-saving instruction message.

[0346] The processes of steps S71 and S72 are described in Figure 7 and will not be repeated here.

[0347] In step S73, the second access point sends energy-saving statistics information to the first access point. The first access point receives the energy-saving statistics information and uses it to determine the energy-saving status of the second access point.

[0348] In this embodiment, the first access point determines that the energy-saving state of the second access point is the first energy-saving state, and the first access point sends an energy-saving control message to the second access point. For ease of description, this energy-saving control message is referred to as the first energy-saving control message.

[0349] Optionally, before the first access point sends the first energy-saving control message to the second access point, the second access point may be in a working state, an energy-saving preparation state, or an energy-saving state different from the first energy-saving state.

[0350] Alternatively, there are several ways to determine the status of the second access point based on energy-saving statistics; two options are provided here:

[0351] Method 1: The first access point determines the energy-saving status of the second access point as the first energy-saving status based on the energy-saving statistics of the second access point.

[0352] In this embodiment, the first access point can determine the energy-saving status of the second access point based on all or part of the energy-saving statistics of the second access point. This application embodiment does not limit the method of using energy-saving statistics to determine the energy-saving status of the second access point.

[0353] In one implementation, the first access point stores a correspondence between its state and the value range of energy-saving statistics. Based on the value range of the energy-saving statistics of the second access point, the energy-saving state of the second access point is determined to be the first energy-saving state in this correspondence.

[0354] In another implementation, the first access point performs a weighted calculation based on the energy-saving statistics of the second access point to determine the weighted value and the energy-saving status corresponding to the range of the weighted value.

[0355] In another implementation, the first access point stores a neural network model for determining the state. The energy-saving statistics obtained from the second access point are preprocessed and input into the neural network model. The output is the configuration information group corresponding to each energy-saving object. The definition of the configuration information group is shown in Table 12. The configuration information group corresponding to multiple energy-saving objects or one energy-saving object is the energy-saving strategy of the first energy-saving state.

[0356] It should be noted that the reason for using energy-saving statistics to analyze whether energy conservation has been implemented is as follows:

[0357] When the number of sites associated with the second access point is small and the traffic is also low, disabling some resources (such as reducing bandwidth or using less spatial flow) and / or lowering the air interface transmit power will not affect the use of the sites. When the number of sites associated with the second access point is relatively small, and the RSSI strength of the sites that can be sensed is low, it indicates that the site is far from the second access point and may not connect. In this case, some resources can be appropriately disabled to save energy. When both the uplink and downlink buffer sizes of the second access point are small, it indicates that the transmit and receive resources are being used sparingly. Disabling some transmit and receive resources will not affect the use of the sites, such as using less spatial flow. Analyzing service status information indicates that the current service status is stable. In this case, some resources can be appropriately disabled to save energy, such as those with low retransmission rates and packet error rates, and / or the air interface transmit power can be reduced. Analyzing service traffic information indicates that the traffic is low and there are no latency-sensitive services. In this case, some resources can be appropriately disabled to save energy. When the temperature at the second access point is high, it indicates a need for emergency cooling and energy conservation, such as shutting down some resources or reducing service transmission, reception, or processing capacity. While the associated sites on the second access point perform periodic energy conservation, the second access point itself can also perform periodic energy conservation.

[0358] In addition, the second access point is less likely to be used at night, so a night scene template is used to save power.

[0359] In addition, when there is relatively little traffic on the second access point and no latency-sensitive services, the low-traffic scenario template should be used.

[0360] In the second approach, the first access point can comprehensively consider energy-saving statistics from multiple access points to determine the access points and their energy-saving status. For example, based on the energy-saving statistics of the second and third access points, the first access point determines the energy-saving status of the second access point as the first energy-saving status, and the third access point as either one of the other access points connected to the first access point or the first access point itself. In this way, by comprehensively considering the energy-saving efforts of all access points in the WLAN, better network services can be provided to the site during energy-saving periods, reducing the impact of energy saving on the site.

[0361] Optionally, site roaming may be prioritized at adjacent sites. Therefore, when considering the energy-saving status of a certain access point, the energy-saving statistics of adjacent access points can be referenced. Thus, the third access point is an access point whose coverage overlaps with that of the second access point among other access points.

[0362] In this embodiment, the first access point can determine the energy-saving status of the second access point based on the energy-saving statistics of the second access point and the energy-saving statistics of the third access point in several ways. Three feasible methods are provided below.

[0363] Method 1: Among multiple access points, the first access point identifies a third access point whose coverage overlaps with that of the second access point. The first access point uses the energy-saving statistics of the second and third access points to determine that the number of associated sites on the second access point is less than a first threshold, and the total number of associated sites of the second and third access points is less than the second threshold, indicating that the second access point may also have a relatively small number of associated sites in the future. Then, the correspondence between energy-saving statistics and status is used to determine the energy-saving status of the second access point as the first energy-saving status.

[0364] Optionally, when the conditions in Method 1 are met, it can also be determined whether there are latency-sensitive services at the site associated with the second access point. If not, it is determined that the second access point can perform energy-saving behavior; otherwise, energy-saving behavior is not performed.

[0365] Method Two: The first access point uses the energy-saving statistics of the second and third access points to determine that the second access point's service type does not have latency-sensitive services, and the associated sites also perform energy saving periodically. Furthermore, no energy-saving actions are being performed on the third access point, indicating that the second access point is capable of performing energy-saving actions. The first access point then weights the energy-saving statistics of the second and third access points and uses the weighted value to determine the corresponding state as the first energy-saving state.

[0366] In this embodiment of the application, there are multiple schemes for determining the status of the second access point based on energy-saving statistics, which cannot all be listed.

[0367] Method 3: The first access point stores a neural network model for determining the state. The energy-saving statistics obtained from the second and third access points are preprocessed and then input into the neural network model. The output is the configuration information group corresponding to each energy-saving object. The definition of the configuration information group is shown in Table 12. The configuration information group corresponding to multiple energy-saving objects or one energy-saving object is the energy-saving strategy of the first energy-saving state.

[0368] In one alternative approach, when the second access point performs energy saving according to the energy-saving object, each access point associates the energy-saving statistics with the energy-saving object when reporting energy-saving statistics. In this way, for each energy-saving object of the second access point, the first access point can use the energy-saving statistics of that energy-saving object to analyze the energy-saving level of that energy-saving object. The analysis process is described in the previous text and will not be repeated here.

[0369] Because the energy-saving statistics are up-to-date, the determined energy-saving status is a better match for the second access point.

[0370] In step S74, the first access point sends a first energy-saving control message to the second access point, wherein the first energy-saving control message is used to instruct the second access point to enter a first energy-saving state.

[0371] Figure 11 provides a schematic diagram of another energy-saving indicator, see steps S71 to S76 in Figure 11.

[0372] Step S71: The second access point sends an energy-saving request to the first access point.

[0373] In step S72, the first access point receives the energy-saving request and sends an energy-saving instruction message to the second access point, and the first access point receives the energy-saving instruction message.

[0374] The processes of steps S71 and S72 are described in Figure 7 and will not be repeated here.

[0375] In step S73, the second access point sends energy-saving statistics information to the first access point. The first access point receives the energy-saving statistics information and uses it to determine the energy-saving status of the second access point.

[0376] Because the energy-saving statistics are up-to-date, the determined energy-saving status is a better match for the second access point.

[0377] In step S74, the first access point sends a first energy-saving control message to the second access point, wherein the first energy-saving control message is used to instruct the second access point to enter a first energy-saving state.

[0378] Step S75: The first access point sends an energy-saving request to the second access point.

[0379] In this embodiment, the first access point determines to reject the second access point's energy-saving efforts and sends an energy-saving request to the second access point. This energy-saving request indicates that energy saving is rejected. For example, the energy-saving request includes the identifier of the second access point and an indication identifier for rejecting energy saving.

[0380] In step S76, the second access point receives the energy-saving request and sends an energy-saving instruction message to the first access point, and the second access point receives the energy-saving instruction message.

[0381] In this embodiment, after receiving the energy-saving request, the second access point immediately exits the energy-saving state and then sends an energy-saving indication message to the first access point. This energy-saving indication message is used to indicate exiting the energy-saving state.

[0382] In one alternative approach, the first energy-saving state applies to the second access point as a whole. The second access point only exists in the first energy-saving state, and the first energy-saving control message simply indicates whether to perform energy saving or specifies a particular energy-saving strategy. For example, the first energy-saving control message includes a first identifier indicating energy saving. The value of the first identifier can be set according to actual needs; to reduce data transmission volume, the first identifier can be 0 or 1. After receiving the first energy-saving control message, the second access point determines the identifier indicating energy saving and then executes the operation to enter the first energy-saving state.

[0383] In another alternative approach, the first energy-saving state refers to the second access point as a whole. The second access point may have multiple energy-saving states, and the first energy-saving state is one of these multiple energy-saving states. The first energy-saving control message includes energy-saving level information, which indicates that the energy-saving state is the first energy-saving state.

[0384] Optionally, the energy-saving level information includes an energy-saving level identifier, which differs depending on the energy-saving state. The second access point stores the correspondence between energy-saving level identifiers and energy-saving strategies; this can also be understood as storing energy-saving templates, where an energy-saving template can be found using the identifier of a specific energy-saving level. The second access point retrieves the energy-saving strategy corresponding to the energy-saving level identifier, or it retrieves the corresponding energy-saving strategy from the connected storage device. The second access point then performs energy-saving processing according to this energy-saving strategy.

[0385] Optionally, the energy-saving level information includes the energy-saving strategy corresponding to the first energy-saving state. For example, the energy-saving level information includes one or more of the following: energy-saving strategy for the WLAN network, energy-saving strategy for the functional module, or energy-saving strategy for the peripheral interface. The second access point performs energy-saving processing according to the received energy-saving strategy.

[0386] In another optional approach, the second access point performs energy conservation based on energy-saving objects, which include one or more of frequency bands, BSSIDs, or SSIDs. Each energy-saving object corresponds to only one energy-saving strategy. The first energy-saving control message includes one or more of the frequency bands, BSSIDs, and SSIDs of the second access point. Specifically, the first energy-saving control message may include the identifier of the energy-saving object to be energy-saving, or it may include the identifier of the energy-saving object and an identifier indicating whether energy-saving processing should be performed on that energy-saving object.

[0387] Where the first energy-saving control message includes the frequency band of the second access point, it indicates that energy saving is performed at least on the frequency band, which may be all or part of the frequency band of the second access point. The second access point obtains the energy-saving strategy corresponding to each frequency band and performs energy-saving processing according to the strategy. For example, the second access point stores the energy-saving strategy corresponding to the frequency band, obtains the stored energy-saving strategy, and performs energy-saving processing according to the strategy.

[0388] If the first energy-saving control message includes the BSSID of the second access point, it indicates that energy saving is performed at least for the BSSID, which may be all or part of the BSSIDs of the second access point. The second access point obtains the energy-saving policy corresponding to each BSSID and performs energy-saving processing according to the energy-saving policy.

[0389] If the first energy-saving control message includes the SSID of the second access point, it indicates that energy saving is performed at least for the SSID, which may be all or part of the SSIDs of the second access point. The second access point obtains the energy-saving policy corresponding to each SSID and performs energy-saving processing according to the energy-saving policy.

[0390] In another optional approach, corresponding to the scenario in Table 2 above, the first energy-saving state corresponds to multiple energy-saving objects of the second access point. The first energy-saving control message includes one or more of the second access point's frequency band, BSSID, or SSID, and energy-saving level information, and the energy-saving level information corresponds to these multiple energy-saving objects. For example, the first energy-saving control message includes the second access point's 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, and the energy-saving level information includes the energy-saving level information corresponding to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. The second access point uses the energy-saving level information corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band for energy-saving processing and also uses the energy-saving level information corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band for energy-saving processing. As another example, the first energy-saving control message includes the second access point's 2.4GHz frequency band and BSSID1, where BSSID1 is one of the BSSIDs of the 5GHz frequency band. The energy-saving level information includes the energy-saving level information corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band and BSSID1. The second access point uses the energy-saving level information corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band for energy-saving processing and also uses the energy-saving level information corresponding to BSSID1 for energy-saving processing. The content of the energy-saving level information here is described above and will not be repeated here.

[0391] In another alternative approach, corresponding to the scenario in Table 3 above, the first energy-saving state corresponds to an energy-saving object of the second access point. For each energy-saving object, the first access point sends an energy-saving control message to the second access point, indicating the energy-saving state of the energy-saving object. The first energy-saving control message then indicates a state switch for an energy-saving object. For example, if the energy-saving objects include frequency band 1 and frequency band 2, the first access point sends energy-saving control message 1 to the second access point, indicating the energy-saving state of frequency band 1. The first access point then sends energy-saving control message 2 to the second access point, indicating the energy-saving state of frequency band 2.

[0392] Here, the energy-saving status of multiple frequency bands can also be indicated in the first energy-saving control message. For example, the first energy-saving control message can indicate not only that frequency band 1 of the second access point enters the first energy-saving state, but also that frequency band 2 of the second access point enters the second energy-saving state.

[0393] Optionally, the first instruction message includes the identifier of the energy-saving object and energy-saving level information. The content of the energy-saving level information is described above and will not be repeated here.

[0394] Optionally, when the first energy-saving control message includes an energy-saving strategy, the content is shown in Table 12.

[0395] Table 12

[0396] In Table 12, A7, A8, and A9 are any three distinct values. For example, A7, A8, and A9 are integers from 0 to 2. A9 indicates a shutdown state where the RF resource indicated by RUID is in a shutdown state. A10 and A11 are any two distinct values. For example, A10 is 1 and A11 is 0, or A10 is 0 and A11 is 1.

[0397] Energy-saving template 1 can be a nighttime scene template, and energy-saving template 2 can be a low-traffic scene template. The bits of the energy-saving template are only one example, and the embodiments of this application are not limited. For example, it can also be: bit 0 indicates that energy-saving template 1 is used, bit 1 indicates that energy-saving template is not used, and bit 2 indicates that energy-saving template 2 is used.

[0398] The use of the same number of bits and the bandwidth size is merely an example and is not limited to any particular embodiment in this application. For example, it could also be: bit 0 indicating 30MHz, bit 1 indicating 60MHz, bit 2 indicating 90MHz, and bit 3 indicating 160MHz.

[0399] The number of supported space streams can be either the maximum number of space streams or a list of supported space streams. If it's a list, it can be sent in bitmap format. For example, bit 0 indicates 1 space stream, bit 1 indicates 2, bit 2 indicates 3, bit 3 indicates 4, and bits 4 through 7 are reserved bits.

[0400] The energy-saving cycle can be the switching cycle of the current energy-saving state or the switching cycle of the energy-saving module.

[0401] Optionally, the first energy-saving control message includes one or more of the following: the frequency band of the second access point, BSSID, or SSID, and energy-saving level information. There are several ways to fill in the first energy-saving control message; three feasible methods are provided below. This example illustrates the scenario where the first energy-saving control message includes the frequency band of the second access point.

[0402] In both Method 1 and Method 2, the first energy-saving control message includes a message identifier field, a field length field, a frequency band identifier field, and an energy-saving level identifier field. The message identifier field indicates that the message is an energy-saving interaction message. The field length field indicates the length of the energy-saving control message; the field length is optional. For example, the first and second access points can negotiate in advance, or the length of the energy-saving control message can be statically configured, and the field length can be omitted when sending the energy-saving control message. The frequency band identifier field indicates the specific frequency band. The energy-saving level identifier field indicates the specific energy-saving level.

[0403] In Method 1, as shown in Figure 12, for a frequency band, the identification field of the frequency band is adjacent to the identification field of the energy-saving level corresponding to the frequency band.

[0404] Different frequency bands are identified using different values. For example, 0 indicates all frequency bands, meaning all bands use the same energy-saving level; 1 indicates the 2.4GHz band; 2 indicates the low-frequency band within the 5GHz band; 3 indicates the high-frequency band within the 5GHz band, where the low-frequency band is below the target value and the high-frequency band is above or equal to the target value; and 4 corresponds to the 6GHz band. Furthermore, even when all frequency bands use the same energy-saving level, the energy-saving level can be indicated separately for each band.

[0405] Different energy efficiency levels are identified by different values. For example, 0 indicates that energy efficiency has been stopped, 1 indicates energy efficiency level 1, and 2 indicates energy efficiency level 2.

[0406] Alternatively, different values ​​can be used to identify different frequency bands. For example, 0 is an invalid value, all frequency bands correspond to energy saving level 0, 1 indicates the 2.4GHz frequency band, 2 indicates the low frequency band in the 5GHz frequency band, 3 indicates the high frequency band in the 5GHz frequency band, and 4 corresponds to the 6GHz frequency band.

[0407] Different energy efficiency levels are identified by different values. For example, 0 indicates that all frequency bands are out of energy efficiency mode, 1 indicates energy efficiency level 1, and 2 indicates energy efficiency level 2.

[0408] In Method 2, as shown in Figure 13, the frequency band identification field is filled in bitmap format, and the energy-saving level identification field is adjacent to the frequency band identification field.

[0409] For example, from right to left, bit 0 (least significant bit) identifies the 2.4 GHz band, bit 1 identifies the 5 GHz band, and bit 2 identifies the 6 GHz band. Here, the bit order is counted from the least significant bit; in another implementation, the bit order can also be counted from the most significant bit. The band identification field contains N bits, followed by N energy efficiency level identifiers, filled in according to the order of the band identifiers.

[0410] Different energy efficiency levels are identified by different values. For example, 0 indicates that energy efficiency has been stopped, 1 indicates energy efficiency level 1, and 2 indicates energy efficiency level 2.

[0411] In both Method 1 and Method 2, as mentioned earlier, the energy-saving level information can be an energy-saving level identifier or a specific energy-saving strategy. The energy-saving strategy can be all energy-saving strategies or only a portion of them; this portion refers to the energy-saving strategy that differs from the current state of the second access point. The energy-saving strategy can be implemented using a numbered value, a fixed sequence with the number omitted, or a bitmap value.

[0412] In Method 3, as shown in Figure 14, the first energy-saving control message includes a message identifier field, a field length, and an energy-saving indicator field.

[0413] The energy-saving level and frequency band are identified together and filled in the energy-saving indicator field. For example, 0 indicates that all frequency bands are out of energy-saving mode, 1 indicates that the energy-saving level of the first frequency band is energy-saving level 1, and 2 indicates that the energy-saving level of the second frequency band is energy-saving level 2.

[0414] Optionally, a separate field can be used in the first energy-saving control message to indicate whether to exit or perform energy-saving behavior. For example, if the field is 0 in the first energy-saving control message, it indicates exiting the energy-saving state, and the specific energy-saving strategy for the frequency band does not need to be filled in afterward. If the field is 1, it indicates performing energy-saving behavior, and the specific energy-saving strategy for the frequency band is filled in afterward.

[0415] It should be noted that only two frequency bands are shown in Figures 12 to 14, but in practice, there may be one or more.

[0416] This explanation uses the frequency band as an example to illustrate the energy-saving target. The energy-saving target includes BSSID and SSID, which are similar and will not be elaborated here.

[0417] In one alternative approach, after entering the first energy-saving state, the second access point may also send a first response message to the first access point to inform the first access point that it agrees to enter the first energy-saving state.

[0418] Additionally, after receiving the first energy-saving control message, the second access point may disagree with entering the first energy-saving state and can send a second response message to the first access point to inform it of its refusal to enter the first energy-saving state. For example, after receiving the first energy-saving control message, if a new site connects and the first energy-saving state is more energy-efficient than the current state, the second access point may send a second response message to the first access point to inform it of its refusal to enter the first energy-saving state in order to better serve the new site.

[0419] Optionally, the first response message and the second response message can be the same response message, including identifier 1 when indicating agreement to enter the first energy-saving state, and carrying identifier 2 when indicating refusal to enter the first energy-saving state. For example, identifier 1 is 1 and identifier 2 is 0, or identifier 1 is 0 and identifier 2 is 1. Alternatively, the first response message and the second response message can be different messages.

[0420] In one alternative approach, after sending a first energy-saving control message to the second access point, the first access point decides that the second access point should exit the energy-saving state, and sends an energy-saving exit request to the second access point. Upon receiving the energy-saving exit request, the second access point exits the energy-saving state and enters either the working state or the energy-saving preparation state.

[0421] In another alternative approach, the second access point exits the energy-saving state after a specified event occurs, and sends an energy-saving exit request to the first access point upon exiting the energy-saving state. This energy-saving exit request indicates that the second access point has modified its state.

[0422] Optionally, the energy-saving exit request includes an identifier for exiting energy saving and the status after exiting the energy-saving state.

[0423] 5. The process by which the first access point obtains the status of the second access point from the second access point.

[0424] In one optional approach, the second access point sends its status to the first access point. This status may be the same as or different from the first energy-saving state. For example, if a new site suddenly connects while the second access point is in a certain energy-saving state, the second access point may switch from the first energy-saving state to the second energy-saving state, or enter a working state, where the energy saving rate of the first energy-saving state is higher than that of the second energy-saving state. In this case, the second access point sends its changed status to the first access point. Another example is that the second access point periodically sends its own status to the first access point. Yet another example is that after disconnecting from the first access point, the second access point reconnects and sends its own status, essentially going offline and then back online. Yet another example is that after the first access point sends a first energy-saving control message to the second access point, the second access point may disagree with entering the first energy-saving state and send its own status back to the first access point.

[0425] In another alternative approach, under certain circumstances, the first access point may lose the status of the second access point, or may be unsure of the current status of the second access point. In such cases, the first access point queries the second access point for its status. For example, after the second access point disconnects from the first access point and then reconnects, the first access point determines that the second access point is back online. However, the first access point is unsure whether the second access point is in its default state or a previously entered state, and thus queries the second access point for its status. As another example, after the first access point sends a first energy-saving control message to the second access point, the second access point may disagree with entering the first energy-saving state. In this case, the second access point sends a second response message to the first access point, indicating a refusal to enter the first energy-saving state, and the first access point queries the second access point for its status. The process of the first access point querying the status of the second access point is illustrated in steps S91 to S94 of Figure 15.

[0426] Step S91: The first access point sends a status query request to the second access point.

[0427] In this embodiment, the first access point generates a status query request. When the second access point as a whole corresponds to an energy-saving status, the identifier of the energy-saving object is the identifier of the second access point. When the second access point saves energy according to energy-saving objects, the status query request includes the identifiers of each energy-saving object to be queried. For example, if the energy-saving object is a frequency band, the status query request includes the identifier of the frequency band whose status is to be queried: 0 indicates all frequency bands, indicating a query for the status of all frequency bands; 1 indicates the 2.4GHz frequency band, indicating a query for the status of the 2.4GHz frequency band; 2 indicates a query for the status of the 5GHz low-frequency band; 3 indicates a query for the status of the 5GHz high-frequency band; and 4 indicates a query for the status of the 6GHz frequency band.

[0428] Step S92: The second access point receives the status query request.

[0429] Step S93: The second access point sends the target status to the first access point.

[0430] In this embodiment, the second access point obtains the status corresponding to the energy-saving object's identifier according to the status query request, and sends the target status to the second access point for convenience.

[0431] Optionally, the second access point sends a status reporting message to the first access point. This status reporting message is used to report the target status. For example, the status reporting message may include an energy-saving level identifier or a specific energy-saving strategy.

[0432] When sending the target status, the second access point can send it in the format of an energy-saving control message.

[0433] Step S94: The first access point receives the target status.

[0434] In this embodiment, after the first access point receives the status, if the target status differs from the status recorded by the first access point, the status of the second access point is updated to the target status.

[0435] Optionally, the content of the status reporting message corresponds to the content of the energy-saving control message. In one implementation, the content of the status reporting message can be found in Table 13.

[0436] Table Thirteen

[0437] In Table 13, the energy-saving template, bandwidth, number of spatial streams, and modulation and coding scheme can all be sent in bitmap form, and this application embodiment does not impose any limitations. For example, for the number of spatial streams, the identifier of the number of spatial streams can be sent directly.

[0438] The process shown in Figure 15 can occur at any stage after the second access point comes online, and this embodiment of the application does not limit it. For example, as mentioned above, it is reported after the second access point exits the energy-saving state.

[0439] In this embodiment, the first access point and the second access point work together to save energy. In order to ensure the overall network energy saving is optimal, in the WLAN, the first access point acts as the control center to maintain the energy-saving state machine of all other access points, referred to as the state machine. It also maintains a state machine for each set of radio frequency resources to achieve independent maintenance of the energy-saving state of each set of radio frequency resources and support the expansion of more radio frequency resources.

[0440] Before describing the method flow of the embodiments of this application, the states that may be involved in each access point are first described.

[0441] 1. Working status (also known as working state) refers to the normal working state. The energy-saving feature (or energy-saving function) has been enabled, but the decision to start energy saving has not yet been made. In other words, the first access point and the second access point have not yet completed the energy-saving handshake and the energy-saving process has not been started. Starting the energy-saving process here corresponds to enabling the energy-saving mode mentioned above.

[0442] 2. Energy-saving preparation state (also known as energy-saving standby state) refers to the state in which energy-saving processing has been initiated, but has not yet entered a certain energy-saving state. Here, the energy-saving preparation state is an optional state; it is possible to directly switch from the working state to a certain energy-saving state, or directly switch from a certain energy-saving state to the working state.

[0443] 3. Energy-saving state (also known as energy-saving mode or sleep level energy-saving mode) indicates the state of the access point when a specific energy-saving strategy (corresponding to an energy-saving mode) is adopted or a specific energy-saving operation is performed. It can also be understood as: an agreed-upon energy-saving mode, or a set of specific operating parameters, such as bandwidth, number of spatial streams, and modulation and coding schemes. For a given access point, the power consumption saved by the access point in different energy-saving states will be different; that is, the energy-saving magnitude (or energy-saving depth) will be different. Different access points can support the same or different energy-saving states. When an access point performs energy saving according to the energy-saving object, the energy-saving states of different energy-saving objects may be different.

[0444] In one alternative approach, the condition for switching from the working state to the energy-saving ready state is that the first access point and the second access point complete an energy-saving handshake.

[0445] Optionally, to prevent frequent state switching, before switching from the working state to the energy-saving preparation state, the first access point and the second access point must handshake to agree to start the energy-saving process, and timer 1 must expire before switching to the energy-saving preparation state. It should be noted that upon initial entry into the energy-saving preparation state, if the conditions for entering the energy-saving preparation state are met, the switch can be made immediately. When switching back to the working state from other states, the switch to energy-saving preparation state can only occur after timer 1 expires and the first access point and the second access point handshake to agree to start the energy-saving process.

[0446] In one alternative approach, the condition for switching from one energy-saving state to another energy-saving state is: the first access point decides to enter the other energy-saving state.

[0447] Optionally, to prevent frequent state switching, a timer 2 is set between two energy-saving states. After switching to a certain energy-saving state, timer 2 starts counting down. Even if the conditions for switching to another energy-saving state are met, the switch from one energy-saving state to another can only be made after timer 2 expires.

[0448] In one alternative approach, the condition for switching from the energy-saving ready state to the energy-saving state is: the first access point decides that the second access point enters a certain energy-saving state.

[0449] Optionally, to prevent frequent state switching, when switching from the energy-saving preparation state to the energy-saving state, the switch can only be made after the conditions for switching to the energy-saving state are met and timer 3 expires.

[0450] Among them, timers 1 to 3 are maintained by the first access point or by the second access point.

[0451] In one alternative approach, the conditions for switching from the energy-saving preparation state to the working state are: the first access point decides to shut down the energy-saving process, or the second access point decides to shut down the energy-saving process, or timer 4 expires.

[0452] In one alternative approach, to prevent the second access point from remaining in the energy-saving state for too long, a timer 4 is also set. After entering a certain energy-saving state, the timer 4 starts counting down. If the energy-saving state is not exited before the timer 4 expires (excluding the exit of the energy-saving state during periodic energy-saving processing), then when the timer 4 expires, the energy-saving preparation state or working state is entered, and a message requesting to exit the energy-saving state is sent to the first access point.

[0453] Timer 4 is sent from the first access point to the second access point and is maintained by the second access point itself.

[0454] In another alternative approach, the first access point also maintains a timer 4. When the first access point sends timer 4 to the second access point, it can send a message indicating that the energy-saving state has been exited to the second access point after timer 4 expires, thus instructing the second access point to exit the energy-saving state and return to the working state. If the second access point detects that it has not received the message indicating that the energy-saving state has been exited within a certain period after timer 4 expires, it then sends a message indicating that it has exited the energy-saving state to the first access point. This ensures that the second access point can exit the energy-saving state and return to the working state.

[0455] Activating energy-saving processing here is equivalent to enabling energy-saving mode as mentioned earlier, and disabling energy-saving processing is equivalent to disabling energy-saving mode as mentioned earlier. Activating energy-saving processing corresponds to the SFU energy-saving feedback field indicating "on" in the following text, and the MFU energy-saving feedback field indicating "on" in the following text. Disabling energy-saving processing corresponds to the SFU energy-saving feedback field indicating "off" in the following text, and the MFU energy-saving feedback field indicating "off" in the following text.

[0456] The following describes an energy-saving process. It is assumed that the WLAN includes multiple access points, at least a first access point and a second access point. Here, we will use the first access point initiating energy-saving negotiation as an example. See steps S110 to S130 in Figure 16.

[0457] Step S110: The first access point sends a first energy-saving strategy message to the second access point.

[0458] In this embodiment, the first access point determines that the second access point can perform energy-saving processing based on the energy-saving statistics of the second access point, and sends a first energy-saving strategy message to the second access point. This first energy-saving strategy message is used to instruct the request to start energy-saving processing. The first energy-saving strategy message includes the MFU energy-saving opinion field in Table 15, which indicates "on".

[0459] In step S120, the second access point sends a second energy-saving strategy message to the first access point.

[0460] In this embodiment, the second access point receives the first energy-saving strategy message and determines whether energy-saving processing is suitable based on its own status. If energy-saving processing is suitable, it sends a second energy-saving strategy message to the first access point to initiate energy-saving processing. If energy-saving processing is not suitable, it sends a second energy-saving strategy message to the first access point, indicating that energy-saving processing should not be initiated. For example, if the second access point currently has low-latency services, it determines that energy-saving processing is not suitable. The second energy-saving strategy message includes the SFU energy-saving opinion field from Table 15, indicating "on" when energy-saving processing is initiated and "off" when energy-saving processing is not initiated.

[0461] In step S130, the first access point sends an energy-saving strategy message to the second access point.

[0462] In this embodiment, the first access point receives a second energy-saving strategy message. If the second energy-saving strategy message indicates the initiation of energy-saving processing, a third energy-saving strategy message is generated based on the energy-saving statistics message of the second access point. This third energy-saving strategy message can indicate the identifier of a specific energy-saving mode or the specific content of the energy-saving strategy. After receiving the energy-saving strategy message, the second access point can perform corresponding energy-saving operations according to the energy-saving strategy message to enter a specific energy-saving state. The third energy-saving strategy message can be found in Table 15, showing the content that needs to be filled in when both the SFU energy-saving opinion field and the MFU energy-saving opinion field are on.

[0463] Optionally, the messages in steps S110 to S130 can be different messages, or they can be the same message with different content.

[0464] The following describes another energy-saving process, see steps S210 to S230 in Figure 16.

[0465] Step S210: The second access point sends a first energy-saving strategy message to the first access point.

[0466] In this embodiment, the second access point determines, based on its own status, that it is suitable to perform energy-saving processing and sends a first energy-saving strategy message to the first access point. This first energy-saving strategy message is used to instruct the request to initiate energy-saving processing. The first energy-saving strategy message includes the SFU energy-saving suggestion field from Table 15, indicating "on".

[0467] In step S220, the first access point sends a second energy-saving strategy message to the second access point.

[0468] In this embodiment, the first access point receives the first energy-saving strategy message and, based on the energy-saving statistics of the second access point, determines whether the second access point is suitable for energy-saving processing. If it is suitable, the first access point sends a second energy-saving strategy message to the second access point to instruct it to start energy-saving processing. If it is not suitable, the first access point sends a second energy-saving strategy message to the second access point to instruct it to refuse to start energy-saving processing. For example, if the second access point is currently receiving a large amount of data from the first access point, the first access point determines that the second access point is not suitable for energy-saving processing. The second energy-saving strategy message is the MFU energy-saving opinion field in Table 15, indicating "on" when energy-saving processing is started and "off" when energy-saving processing is not started.

[0469] In step S230, the first access point sends an energy-saving strategy message to the second access point.

[0470] In this embodiment, if the second energy-saving strategy message indicates the initiation of energy-saving processing, the first access point generates a third energy-saving strategy message based on the energy-saving statistics message of the second access point. This third energy-saving strategy message can indicate the identifier of a specific energy-saving mode or the specific content of the energy-saving strategy. After receiving the energy-saving strategy message, the second access point can perform corresponding energy-saving operations according to the energy-saving strategy message to enter a specific energy-saving state.

[0471] Optionally, the messages in steps S210 to S230 can be different messages, or they can be the same message with different content.

[0472] It should be noted that when the first access point determines that the second access point is suitable for energy-saving processing, step S220 can be skipped and step S230 can be executed directly.

[0473] The following describes a shutdown energy-saving process, see steps S310 to S320 in Figure 16.

[0474] Step S310: The first access point sends a first energy-saving strategy message to the second access point.

[0475] In this embodiment, the first access point determines that the second access point is no longer suitable for energy-saving processing and sends a first energy-saving policy message to the second access point. This first energy-saving policy message is used to instruct the second access point to disable energy-saving processing. For example, the first access point determines that a large amount of data is being sent to the second access point, or that the second access point's service status is poor, thus determining that the second access point is no longer suitable for energy-saving processing. The first energy-saving policy message includes the MFU energy-saving opinion field in Table 17, indicating "off".

[0476] Step S320: The second access point sends a service status report to the first access point. This step is optional.

[0477] In this embodiment, after receiving the first energy-saving strategy message, the second access point immediately exits the energy-saving state and enters the working state. Furthermore, the second access point sends a service status report to the first access point; this service status report, mentioned here and thereafter, refers to the service status information mentioned earlier.

[0478] After instructing the second access point to exit energy-saving mode, the first access point, upon receiving a service status report, immediately prioritizes allocating communication opportunities or resources to the second access point to help it quickly restore services.

[0479] The following describes another exit energy-saving process, see steps S410 to S420 in Figure 16.

[0480] In step S410, the second access point sends a first energy-saving strategy message to the first access point.

[0481] In this embodiment, after being awakened by a local emergency event, the second access point immediately exits the energy-saving state and enters the working state, sending a first energy-saving policy message to the first access point. This first energy-saving policy message is used to instruct the power-saving process to be turned off. For example, if the second access point has one or more low-latency services or the service status is poor, it determines to exit the energy-saving state. The first energy-saving policy message includes the SFU energy-saving opinion field in Table 17, indicating "off".

[0482] Optionally, the second access point sends information related to the emergency to the first access point.

[0483] Step S420: The second access point sends a service status report to the first access point. This step is optional.

[0484] In this embodiment, after receiving the first energy-saving policy message indicating that energy-saving processing should be turned off, the first access point immediately prioritizes allocating communication opportunities or communication resources to the second access point to help the second access point quickly restore services. This service status report can serve as a reference for the first access point to allocate communication resources to the second access point.

[0485] Both the first and second energy-saving strategy messages mentioned above can be understood as power saving requests (PS requests). When energy saving processing is started, the energy saving opinion field carried in the message indicates "on". When energy saving processing is turned off, the energy saving opinion field carried in the message indicates "off". See Table 15 for energy saving opinions.

[0486] In the process shown in Figure 16, the processes of starting and stopping energy-saving treatment can be combined arbitrarily, and this application embodiment does not limit them.

[0487] Optionally, in the process shown in Figure 16, the channel through which the first access point interacts with other access points is the radio management and control channel, and the messages used are WMCI messages. This is just an example; in an FTTR scenario, OMCI messages, etc., could also be used.

[0488] Optionally, in the process shown in Figure 16, the second access point can also report its energy-saving capabilities to the first access point. This reporting process can occur at any stage before steps S110 and S210, such as the initialization stage. This initialization stage can be the initialization stage for the second access point to go online. The first access point obtains the basic capability information of the second access point through this initialization stage and completes the configuration of the basic operating parameters of the second access point. The second access point can proactively report its own energy-saving capabilities through energy-saving capability messages. The first access point can also send an energy-saving capability reporting request to the second access point, and the second access point sends an energy-saving capability message to the first access point. See Figure 17 for the access point interaction process.

[0489] In step S710, the second access point sends an energy-saving capability message to the first access point, wherein the energy-saving capability message is used to indicate the energy-saving capability of at least one energy-saving object of the second access point.

[0490] In one alternative approach, during the WMCI initialization phase, the second access point sends an energy-saving capability message to the first access point.

[0491] In another alternative approach, during the energy-saving initialization phase, the second access point sends an energy-saving capability message to the first access point.

[0492] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving object is a Wi-Fi radio frequency resource, identified as RUID.

[0493] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving capabilities of all energy-saving objects at the second access point can be reported via a single energy-saving capability message.

[0494] In one optional approach, the first access point stores a mapping between energy-saving capability identifiers and energy-saving capabilities. This energy-saving capability message includes an identifier of the energy-saving mode supported by the energy-saving object, and / or the energy-saving capability message includes energy-saving policy content. The energy-saving policy content includes supported frequency bands, the number of supported spatial streams, supported transmit power, or one or more supported MCSs. The energy-saving policy content also includes an indication message indicating whether the energy-saving object supports shutdown and a shutdown transition time. The energy-saving object can be a Wi-Fi radio frequency resource.

[0495] See Table 14 for details on energy-saving capabilities.

[0496] Table 14

[0497] For explanations of the content identical to that in Table 4 in Table 14, please refer to Table 4. In Table 14, any content marked with a number can be replaced with other numbers. For example, transmission power can be divided into four levels, each level being divided into 25%. Also, for content distinguished by bits, the content represented by each bit should be interchanged.

[0498] Alternatively, the content of the energy-saving capability message can also be a combination of Table 4 and Table 14.

[0499] It should be noted that when sending energy-saving capability messages, you can send only part of the information in Table 14, or you can send all of the information in Table 14. For example, you can send only the supported energy-saving modes, or only the number of supported frequency bands, MAC addresses, or spatial streams.

[0500] In step S720, the first access point receives an energy-saving capability message sent by the second access point among at least one access point, wherein the energy-saving capability message is used to indicate the energy-saving capability of at least one energy-saving object of the second access point.

[0501] In step S730, the first access point sends an energy-saving strategy message to the second access point, wherein the energy-saving strategy message is used to indicate the energy-saving strategy of at least one energy-saving object, and the energy-saving strategy is matched with the energy-saving capability.

[0502] In this embodiment, after the first access point and the second access point negotiate to start the energy-saving process, the first access point sends an energy-saving strategy message to the second access point. The energy-saving strategy message is used to indicate the energy-saving strategy of the at least one energy-saving object, and the energy-saving strategy is matched with the energy-saving capability.

[0503] The detailed process for determining energy-saving strategies is described above.

[0504] In step S740, the second access point receives an energy-saving strategy message sent by the first access point, wherein the energy-saving strategy message is used to indicate the energy-saving strategy of the second access point, and the energy-saving strategy is matched with the energy-saving capability.

[0505] Similar to the previous description, the first access point determines the state that the second access point enters (this state includes energy-saving preparation state and energy-saving state, but not the working state). This decision requires the second access point's consent before it can enter that state. For example, the first access point sends an energy-saving strategy message to the second access point, instructing it to enter the first energy-saving state. However, the second access point disagrees and wants to remain in the working state. The second access point sends an SFU (Safety Function Unit) energy-saving suggestion to the first access point via the energy-saving strategy message, with the SFU energy-saving suggestion field indicating "off," and the second access point is in the working state. As another example, the first access point sends an energy-saving strategy message to the second access point, instructing it to enter the first energy-saving state. However, the second access point disagrees and wants to remain in the current energy-saving state. The second access point sends an SFU energy-saving suggestion to the first access point via the energy-saving strategy message, with the SFU energy-saving suggestion field indicating "off," and sends information indicating the current energy-saving state. The first access point decides whether to agree. If it agrees, the first access point notifies the second access point, and the second access point maintains its original energy-saving state.

[0506] In step S750, the second access point uses an energy-saving strategy to perform energy-saving processing.

[0507] In addition, the energy-saving feature can only be enabled at the access point (which can be understood as enabling the energy-saving function) before the handshake can be started to initiate the energy-saving process. The process of enabling the energy-saving feature is shown in steps S510 to S530 in Figure 18.

[0508] In step S510, the second access point sends a request to the first access point to enable the energy-saving feature.

[0509] In this embodiment, the second access point has an energy-saving function and sends an activation request for the energy-saving feature to the first access point. The activation request is used to indicate that the energy-saving feature is activated.

[0510] In step S520, the first access point sends a control message for the energy-saving feature to the second access point.

[0511] In this embodiment, after receiving the activation request, the first access point sends a control message for the energy-saving feature to the second access point. The control message is used to instruct the activation of the energy-saving feature.

[0512] In step S530, the second access point sends an activation report of the energy-saving feature to the first access point.

[0513] In this embodiment, after receiving the control message, the second access point configures the parameters to enable the energy-saving feature and sends an activation report of the energy-saving feature to the first access point. The activation report is used to indicate that the energy-saving feature has been enabled.

[0514] The process for shutting down the energy-saving feature is shown in steps S610 to S630 in Figure 19.

[0515] In step S610, the second access point sends a request to the first access point to disable the energy-saving feature.

[0516] In this embodiment, the second access point no longer wants to perform energy-saving processing and sends a power-saving feature shutdown request to the first access point. This shutdown request is used to instruct the power-saving feature to be turned off.

[0517] In step S620, the first access point sends a control message for the energy-saving feature to the second access point.

[0518] In this embodiment, after receiving the shutdown request, the first access point sends a control message for the energy-saving feature to the second access point. The control message is used to instruct the shutdown of the energy-saving feature.

[0519] In step S630, the second access point sends a report to the first access point indicating that the energy-saving feature is disabled.

[0520] In this embodiment, after receiving the control message, the second access point configures the parameters to disable the energy-saving feature and sends a power-saving feature disabling report to the first access point. The disabling report is used to indicate that the energy-saving feature has been disabled.

[0521] Optionally, steps S510 and S610 are optional steps. The first access point can determine whether to activate the energy-saving feature of WMCI based on the value filled in the energy-saving field in the WMCI characteristic parameter control.

[0522] Optionally, the content of the energy-saving control message (also known as the energy-saving strategy message, or PS strategy (configure)) is shown in Table 15, which uses radio frequency resources as an example for energy-saving purposes. The energy-saving strategy message can indicate the energy-saving recommendations of the SFU, or the energy-saving recommendations of the MFU, or the energy-saving mode, or the energy-saving strategy content (i.e., the energy-saving operation that the SFU needs to perform), or multiple items in Table 15.

[0523] Table 15

[0524] Table 15 shows how the message for negotiating energy saving, along with the message for issuing energy saving modes and strategies, is integrated into a single message. This single message enables energy-saving handshakes between the MFU and SFU, and is used for air interface energy-saving behavior control, mainly involving frequency bands, stream counts, and transmit power.

[0525] Furthermore, message type identifiers can also exist in other ways. For example, 0: this message is used by the MFU to send an energy-saving mode identifier or energy-saving strategy to the SFU; 1: this message is used for energy-saving negotiation, which can also be understood as an energy-saving handshake; 2-127: reserved. Similarly, SFU energy-saving opinions and MFU energy-saving opinions can also exist in other ways. For example, bit 1 can be used to indicate the SFU energy-saving opinion, and bit 2 can be used to indicate the MFU energy-saving opinion. Similarly, RUID status can also exist in other ways, such as 0 indicating the energy-saving status and 1 indicating the working status. Other indication methods can also be extended based on the principles described here.

[0526] In addition, during the energy-saving cycle of the current energy-saving state, the SFU can automatically exit the current energy-saving state, perform business processing, and then return to the current energy-saving state without notifying the MFU.

[0527] In Table 15, the energy-saving mode is defined in the same way as the energy-saving template in the previous text, and can also be understood as the energy-saving level in the previous text.

[0528] In one alternative approach, when the first access point obtains the status of the second access point, it can simultaneously obtain other parameter information. The second access point then sends an energy-saving parameter message to the first access point. This message can indicate the energy-saving status, or it can indicate both the energy-saving status and an SFU alarm indication, or it can indicate both the energy-saving status and equipment temperature information. The equipment temperature information includes the average, maximum, or minimum temperature of the second access point over a short period of time. The conditions for triggering the sending of the energy-saving parameter message are the same as those for triggering the second access point to report its status, and will not be repeated here. The content of the energy-saving parameter message is shown in Table 16.

[0529] Table 16

[0530] The fields for energy-saving modes in Table 16 can be found in the energy-saving strategy message.

[0531] In this embodiment of the application, in the FTTR network, the MFU can directly decide whether the SFU enters or exits a certain energy-saving state, including emergency exit; the SFU can directly decide to exit the energy-saving state and notify the MFU; if the SFU requests to exit the energy-saving state, the SFU exits the energy-saving state locally and then notifies the MFU, and the MFU does not need to reply. When the energy-saving decisions of the MFU and SFU conflict, the SFU's decision prevails.

[0532] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the SFU exits the energy-saving state in two ways: First, the SFU can be woken up according to the agreed time (energy-saving cycle) configured by the energy-saving strategy and interact with the MFU for service information. Alternatively, if woken up by an emergency event on the SFU's local side, the SFU should immediately exit the energy-saving state and notify the MFU of the relevant event and the change in energy-saving state. Second, the SFU receives an instruction from the MFU to exit energy saving and returns to the working state, immediately processing service information brought by the MFU. The MFU should prioritize allocating communication opportunities or resources to the SFU that has exited energy saving to help the SFU quickly resume service. During periodic energy saving, after being woken up, the SFU does not need to send a message requesting to exit the energy-saving state to the MFU; it will only request to exit the energy-saving state after the periodic energy saving ends or after an emergency event occurs.

[0533] In addition, the SFU can send a business status report during the energy-saving period to the MFU during the energy-saving process or after the energy-saving wake-up to help the MFU / SFU optimize the energy-saving strategy.

[0534] The process of the first access point collecting energy-saving statistics messages can occur at any stage, as long as the first access point needs to collect energy-saving statistics information from the second access point, it can also execute the data reporting process. This application embodiment does not impose any limitations. The second access point can actively report energy-saving statistics messages, and the first access point can also request energy-saving statistics messages.

[0535] In the tables above, each field can be indicated by bits or by values. For example, the field for power saving mode can be indicated by two or more bytes. Power saving mode is represented by two bytes: 0: Power saving mode not used; 1: Sleep_level 1 (maximum bandwidth and 2×2 MIMO); 2: Sleep_level 2 (maximum bandwidth and 1×1 SISO); 3: Sleep_level 3 (20M bandwidth and 1×1 SISO); 4: Sleep_level 4 (20M bandwidth and 1×1 SISO MCS<7); ~127: Reserved. Other cases are similar and will not be listed one by one.

[0536] The preceding text described how the first access point determines the status of other access points. The first access point can also determine its own status, controlling itself to perform energy-saving behaviors or switch from an energy-saving state to an active state or an energy-saving preparation state. For details on how the first access point's status is determined, please refer to the method for determining the second access point's status; these details will not be repeated here.

[0537] In this embodiment of the application, in the WLAN, the first access point centrally determines the status of each access point. Since the first access point is connected to other access points, it can obtain energy-saving statistics of other access points. By comprehensively considering the status of each access point, the impact on the data transmission and reception of the site can be reduced or avoided when saving energy.

[0538] Furthermore, the identifiers in the embodiments of this application can be any value and are not limited to the examples in the text. Any identifier that can be used for indication can be applied to the embodiments of this application.

[0539] The above-described solutions in the embodiments of this application can be combined arbitrarily without violating logic.

[0540] Figure 20 is a structural diagram of the access point energy-saving interaction device provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 1600 shown in Figure 20 can be implemented as part or all of the device through software, hardware, or a combination of both. The device 1600 is applied to a first access point in an FTTR network, and the first access point is connected to at least one access point in the FTTR network. The device 1600 is used to implement the method flow executed by the first access point in the embodiment of this application. The device 1600 includes:

[0541] The receiving module 1610 is configured to receive a first energy-saving request sent by a second access point among the at least one access point, wherein the first energy-saving request is used to instruct the second access point to apply for entering an energy-saving mode;

[0542] The sending module 1620 is further configured to send an energy-saving indication message to the second access point, wherein the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter or exit the energy-saving mode.

[0543] In one alternative embodiment, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter the energy-saving mode, and the receiving module 1610 is further used to receive a second energy-saving request sent by the second access point after exiting the energy-saving mode, wherein the second energy-saving request is used to instruct the second access point to exit the energy-saving mode.

[0544] In one alternative embodiment, the second energy-saving request includes an indication for indicating the withdrawal of energy saving and an indication for indicating an emergency withdrawal of energy saving.

[0545] In one alternative embodiment, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter the energy-saving mode, and the sending module 1620 is further used to send an energy-saving exit request to the second access point, wherein the energy-saving exit request is used to instruct the second access point to exit the energy-saving mode.

[0546] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving exit request includes an indication flag for indicating exiting the energy-saving mode and an indication flag for indicating emergency exit from the energy-saving mode.

[0547] In one alternative embodiment, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter an energy-saving mode; the sending module 1620 is further used to send an energy-saving control message to the second access point, wherein the energy-saving control message is used to instruct the second access point to perform a target energy-saving operation.

[0548] In an alternative embodiment, the device 1600 further includes:

[0549] The determining module is configured to determine the target energy-saving operation of the second access point based on the energy-saving statistics of the second access point; or,

[0550] The determining module is further configured to determine the target energy-saving operation of the second access point based on the energy-saving statistical information of the second access point and the third access point, wherein the third access point is the first access point or an access point other than the second access point among the at least one access point.

[0551] In an alternative embodiment, the receiving module 1610 is also configured to receive energy-saving statistics sent by the second access point.

[0552] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving control message includes one or more of the following: the frequency band of the second access point, the basic service set identifier, or the service set identifier.

[0553] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving control message includes energy-saving level information of the second access point.

[0554] In one alternative approach, the energy efficiency rating information includes an identifier of the energy efficiency rating, or the energy efficiency rating information includes an energy efficiency strategy for the wireless local area network (WLAN).

[0555] In an optional manner, the receiving module 1610 is further configured to receive an energy-saving capability message sent by the second access point, the energy-saving capability message being used to report the energy-saving capability of the second access point.

[0556] Alternatively, device 1600 includes:

[0557] The receiving module 1610 is configured to receive an energy-saving capability message sent by the second access point among the at least one access point, wherein the energy-saving capability message is used to indicate the energy-saving capability of at least one energy-saving object of the second access point;

[0558] The sending module 1620 is used to send an energy-saving strategy message to the second access point, wherein the energy-saving strategy message is used to indicate the energy-saving strategy of the at least one energy-saving object, and for a target energy-saving object among the at least one energy-saving objects, the energy-saving strategy of the target energy-saving object matches the energy-saving capability of the target energy-saving object.

[0559] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving capability message includes an identifier of the energy-saving capability supported by the at least one energy-saving object, and / or energy-saving strategy content.

[0560] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving strategy content is used to indicate one or more of the following: bandwidth, transmit power, number of spatial streams, or modulation and coding strategies supported by the at least one energy-saving object.

[0561] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving strategy content is used to indicate the shutdown capability of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the shutdown capability of the target energy-saving object is used to indicate whether the target energy-saving object can be shut down.

[0562] In an alternative approach, the energy-saving strategy content is further used to indicate the shutdown transition time of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the shutdown transition time of the target energy-saving object is used to indicate the duration required for the target energy-saving object to switch from a shutdown state to an operating state.

[0563] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving object includes Wi-Fi radio frequency resources.

[0564] In an alternative embodiment, the receiving module 1610 is configured to receive an energy-saving capability message sent by the second access point during the WMCI initialization phase.

[0565] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving control message includes energy-saving level information of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the energy-saving level information is used to indicate the energy-saving strategy.

[0566] In one optional approach, the energy-saving level information includes an identifier of the energy-saving level corresponding to the energy-saving strategy, or the energy-saving level information includes the energy-saving strategy content corresponding to the energy-saving strategy.

[0567] Figure 21 is a structural diagram of the access point energy-saving interaction device provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 1700 shown in Figure 21 can be implemented as part or all of the device through software, hardware, or a combination of both. Device 1700 is applied to a second access point in an FTTR network, and the second access point is connected to a first access point in the FTTR network. Device 1700 can implement the method flow executed by the second access point in the embodiment of this application. Device 1700 includes:

[0568] The sending module 1710 is used to send a first energy-saving request to the first access point, wherein the first energy-saving request is used to instruct the second access point to apply to enter the energy-saving mode;

[0569] The receiving module 1720 is used to receive an energy-saving indication message sent by the first access point, wherein the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter or exit the energy-saving mode.

[0570] In one alternative embodiment, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter energy-saving mode, and the sending module 1710 is further used to send a second energy-saving request to the first access point after exiting the energy-saving mode, wherein the second energy-saving request is used to instruct the second access point to exit the energy-saving mode.

[0571] In one alternative embodiment, the second energy-saving request includes an indication for indicating the withdrawal of energy saving and an indication for indicating an emergency withdrawal of energy saving.

[0572] In an alternative embodiment, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter energy-saving mode, and the device 1700 further includes: an execution module 1730;

[0573] The receiving module 1720 is further configured to receive an energy-saving exit request sent by the first access point, wherein the energy-saving exit request is used to instruct the second access point to exit the energy-saving mode;

[0574] Execution module 1730 is used to perform the operation of exiting the energy-saving mode.

[0575] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving exit request includes an indication flag for indicating exiting the energy-saving mode and an indication flag for indicating emergency exit from the energy-saving mode.

[0576] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter energy-saving mode, and the sending module 1710 is also used to send energy-saving statistics information to the first access point.

[0577] In one alternative embodiment, the energy-saving indication message is used to instruct the second access point to enter energy-saving mode; the device 1700 further includes an execution module 1730;

[0578] The receiving module 1720 is further configured to receive an energy-saving control message sent by the first access point, wherein the energy-saving control message is used to instruct the second access point to perform a target energy-saving operation;

[0579] The execution module 1730 is used to perform the target energy-saving operation.

[0580] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving control message includes one or more of the following: the frequency band of the second access point, the basic service set identifier, or the service set identifier.

[0581] In an alternative embodiment, the sending module 1710 is further configured to send an energy-saving capability message to the first access point, the energy-saving capability message being used to report the energy-saving capability of the second access point.

[0582] Alternatively, device 1700 includes:

[0583] The sending module 1710 is used to send an energy-saving capability message to the first access point, wherein the energy-saving capability message is used to indicate the energy-saving capability of at least one energy-saving object of the second access point;

[0584] The receiving module 1720 is configured to receive an energy-saving strategy message sent by the first access point, wherein the energy-saving strategy message is used to indicate the energy-saving strategy of the at least one energy-saving object, and for a target energy-saving object among the at least one energy-saving objects, the energy-saving strategy of the target energy-saving object is matched with the energy-saving capability of the target energy-saving object;

[0585] The execution module 1730 is used to perform energy-saving processing using the energy-saving strategy.

[0586] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving capability message includes an identifier of the energy-saving capability supported by the at least one energy-saving object, and / or energy-saving strategy content.

[0587] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving strategy content is used to indicate one or more of the following: bandwidth, transmit power, number of spatial streams, or modulation and coding strategies supported by the at least one energy-saving object.

[0588] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving strategy content is used to indicate the shutdown capability of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the shutdown capability of the target energy-saving object is used to indicate whether the target energy-saving object can be shut down.

[0589] In an alternative approach, the energy-saving strategy content is further used to indicate the shutdown transition time of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the shutdown transition time of the target energy-saving object is used to indicate the duration required for the target energy-saving object to switch from a shutdown state to an operating state.

[0590] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving object includes Wi-Fi radio frequency resources.

[0591] In an alternative embodiment, the sending module 1710 is configured to send the energy-saving capability message to the first access point during the WMCI initialization phase.

[0592] In one alternative approach, the energy-saving control message includes energy-saving level information of the at least one energy-saving object, wherein the energy-saving level information is used to indicate the energy-saving strategy.

[0593] In one optional approach, the energy-saving level information includes an identifier of the energy-saving level corresponding to the energy-saving strategy, or the energy-saving level information includes the energy-saving strategy content corresponding to the energy-saving strategy.

[0594] For a detailed explanation of the energy-saving interaction process between the above-mentioned devices 1600 and 1700 at the access point, please refer to the descriptions in the preceding embodiments; they will not be repeated here. Device 1600 can be the first access point mentioned above, and device 1700 can be the second access point mentioned above.

[0595] This application also provides a device 100. As shown in FIG22, 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 is the access point mentioned above. It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of processors and memories in device 100.

[0596] 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 22, 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).

[0597] 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).

[0598] 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).

[0599] The memory 106 stores executable program code, and the processor 104 executes the executable program code to implement the access point energy-saving interaction method. That is, the memory 106 stores program instructions for executing the access point energy-saving interaction method.

[0600] The communication interface 108 uses an optical module to enable communication between the device 100 and other devices or communication networks.

[0601] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes program instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor of the access point reads the program instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the program instructions, causing the access point to perform the access point energy-saving interaction method flow described above.

[0602] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes program instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor of an access point reads the program instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the program instructions, causing the access point to perform the access point energy-saving interaction method flow described above for the second access point.

[0603] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a first access point and a second access point. The first access point is used to execute the process executed by the first access point mentioned above, and the second access point is used to execute the process executed by the second access point mentioned above.

[0604] 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.

[0605] 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.

[0606] 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.

[0607] 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.

[0608] 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.

[0609] 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.

[0610] 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 energy-saving interaction at an access point, characterized in that, The method includes: The first access point receives energy-saving statistics information sent by at least one second access point; The first access point determines the energy-saving status based on the energy-saving statistics.

2. A method for energy-saving interaction at an access point, characterized in that, The method includes: The second access point collects energy-saving statistics, which are used to determine the energy-saving status. The second access point sends the energy-saving statistics information to the first access point.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The energy-saving statistics include the ability to shut down Wi-Fi radio frequency.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The energy-saving statistics include the Wi-Fi radio frequency shutdown transition time.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The energy-saving statistics include the energy-saving status of Wi-Fi radio frequency.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The energy-saving statistics include alarm indications from the second access point.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The alarm indication includes at least one of a high temperature alarm and a low temperature alarm.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The energy-saving statistics include at least one of the average temperature of the second access point, the low temperature threshold, and the high temperature threshold.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The energy-saving statistics include uplink and / or downlink traffic for Wi-Fi radio frequency.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The energy-saving statistics include the time interval between two consecutive entries into the current energy-saving state.

11. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The energy-saving statistics include the effective energy-saving time for a single energy-saving cycle.

12. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The energy-saving statistics include the maximum dwell time in the energy-saving state.

13. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The energy-saving statistics include the unique identifier RUID for Wi-Fi radio frequency.

14. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The first access point sends an energy-saving control message to the second access point.

15. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: The second access point receives the energy-saving control message sent by the first access point; The second access point processes the energy-saving control message.

16. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The Wi-Fi radio frequency is divided according to one or more of frequency bands, basic service set identifiers, or service set identifiers.

17. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first access point determines the energy-saving status based on the energy-saving statistics, including: The first access point determines the energy-saving status of the second access point based on the energy-saving statistics.

18. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first access point and a second access point; The first access point is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14; The second access point is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 2-13 or 15.

19. An access point, characterized in that, The access point is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-17.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Includes program instructions, which, when executed by the access point, cause the access point to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

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