Multi-access point discovery method, network device, storage medium, electronic apparatus, and computer program product

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a multi-access point discovery method, a network device, a storage medium, an electronic apparatus, and a computer program product. The method comprises: a first network device sends an information frame having a trigger function to notify a second network device to send a probe response frame on a specified resource unit; and after receiving the information frame, the second network device sends a probe response frame to the first network device on the specified resource unit.

Description

Multi-access point discovery methods, network devices, storage media, electronic devices, and computer program products

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This disclosure is based on and claims priority to Chinese patent application CN2025100094825, filed on January 2, 2025, entitled “Multi-access point discovery method, network device, storage medium, electronic device and computer program product”, and incorporates the entire contents of that patent application by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a multi-access point discovery method, network device, storage medium, electronic device, and computer program product. Background Technology

[0004] In modern wireless communication networks, multi-access point (MAP) collaboration has become a key technology for improving service quality, coverage, and network performance. To achieve efficient collaboration among multiple access points (APs), APs must be able to discover each other's presence and exchange necessary information, such as capability sets and configuration information.

[0005] Traditional access points (APs) can only transmit beacon frames and other types of management frames on the primary 20MHz channel (P20), or transmit beacon frames in the 6GHz band via non-HT duplicate PPDUs. According to traditional MAP discovery methods, the operating channels of AP1 and AP2 (or APn) partially or completely overlap, and their P20s are located in the overlapping channel region. In this case, AP1 and AP2 (or APn) can exchange beacon frames and probe request / response frames on P20 to discover each other. Taking active probe as an example, AP1 will send broadcast probe request frames on the channels where AP2 to AP5 reside, and then receive probe response frames from AP2 to AP5 respectively during different transmission opportunities (TXOPs), such as TXOP2 to TXOP5, resulting in additional channel resource overhead and latency issues.

[0006] In conclusion, there is still no good solution to the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This disclosure provides a multi-access point discovery method, network device, storage medium, electronic device, and computer program product to at least solve the problem of low efficiency in the multi-access point discovery process in related technologies.

[0008] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a multi-access point discovery method is provided, applied to a first network device, comprising: the first network device sending an information frame with a triggering function, wherein the information frame is used to notify a second network device to send a probe response frame on an allocated resource unit; and the first network device receiving at least one probe response frame sent by the second network device on a corresponding resource unit.

[0009] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a multi-access point discovery method is also provided, applied to a second network device, comprising: the second network device receiving an information frame with a triggering function sent by a first network device; the second network device determining, based on the information frame, to send a probe response frame on a resource unit allocated by the first network device; and the second network device sending the probe response frame to the first network device on the resource unit.

[0010] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a network device is also provided for performing multi-access point discovery according to the method described above on the first network device side.

[0011] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a network device is also provided for performing multi-access point discovery according to the method described above on the second network device side.

[0012] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0013] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0014] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 is a hardware structure block diagram of the network device used in the embodiments of the method disclosed herein;

[0016] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a multi-access point discovery method for a first network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a multi-access point discovery method for a second network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of the detection response polling frame in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the deployment model of the working channels of multiple access points in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0020] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the active discovery process based on the triggering method in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0022] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0023] The method embodiments provided in this disclosure can be executed in a network device, computer device, or similar computing device. Taking operation on a network device as an example, FIG1 is a hardware structure block diagram of the network device in which the method embodiments of this disclosure operate. As shown in FIG1, the network device 100 may include one or more (only one is shown in FIG1) processors 102 (processors 102 may include, but are not limited to, processing devices such as microprocessors MCUs or programmable logic devices FPGAs) and a memory 104 for storing data. The network device may also include transmission devices for communication functions and input / output devices. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the structure shown in FIG1 is only illustrative and does not limit the structure of the network device. For example, the network device may also include more or fewer components than shown in FIG1, or have a different configuration than shown in FIG1.

[0024] The memory 104 can be used to store computer programs, such as application software programs and modules, like the computer program corresponding to the multi-access point discovery method in this embodiment. The processor 102 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the computer program stored in the memory 104, thus implementing the above-described method. The memory 104 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory 104 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor 102, and these remote memories can be connected to network devices via a network. Examples of the aforementioned networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof. The transmission device is used to receive or send data via a network. Specific examples of the aforementioned networks may include wireless networks provided by the network device's communication provider. In one instance, the transmission device includes a Network Interface Controller (NIC), which can be connected to other network devices via a base station to communicate with the Internet. In one instance, the transmission device may be a radio frequency (RF) module used to communicate with the Internet wirelessly.

[0025] This disclosure provides a multi-access point discovery method for a network device described above, applied to a first network device. Figure 2 is a flowchart of the multi-access point discovery method for the first network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the process includes the following steps:

[0026] Step S202: The first network device sends an information frame with a triggering function, wherein the information frame is used to notify the second network device to send a probe response frame on the allocated resource unit;

[0027] Step S204: The first network device receives a probe response frame sent by at least one second network device on the corresponding resource unit.

[0028] In this embodiment, the first network device and the second network device can be access points (APs), wireless routers, etc., used to provide wireless network access services for wireless devices, but this disclosure is not limited to these. The first network device is the initiator of the MAP active discovery / probing process, sending information frames via broadcast, and the second network device is the probed object that receives the information frames.

[0029] In this embodiment of the disclosure, during the multi-access point discovery process, the first network device initiates MAP active probing and uses information frames with triggering function to indicate the resource units allocated to the second network device. Multiple second network devices simultaneously send back probe response frames on their respective resource units, which solves the problem of low efficiency in the multi-access point discovery process in related technologies, thereby achieving the effect of improving the efficiency of multi-access point discovery.

[0030] In some embodiments, the probe response frame is of type Trigger Based Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (TB PPDU). The second network device needs to support sending TB PPDUs in order to respond to information frames with trigger functionality and send probe response frames of this type. If some second network devices do not support sending TB PPDUs, then those second network devices will not respond to information frames with trigger functionality.

[0031] In some embodiments, the information frame carries multiple association identifiers (AIDs) for resource elements, wherein the association identifier can be a first preset value or an assigned access point identifier (AP ID), and each resource element corresponds to one association identifier.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, in response to the allocation identifier being a first preset value, the allocation identifier is used to allocate the corresponding resource unit to a second network device of a specified type. The second network device of the specified type preempts the resource unit via random access, and the successfully preempted second network device sends a probe response frame on the resource unit. There can be one or more second network devices of the specified type. If there is only one, that second network device can directly acquire the right to use the resource unit. If there are multiple second network devices, they need to determine a unique second network device to acquire the right to use the resource unit through random access (RA). The specific value of the first preset value can be agreed upon in the protocol, indicating that the type of the resource unit (RU) corresponding to the allocation identifier is a random access resource unit (RA-RU).

[0033] In another exemplary embodiment, in response to the allocation identifier being an allocated access point identifier, the allocation identifier is used to allocate the corresponding resource unit to a designated second network device. The access point identifier (AP ID) is used to indicate the designated second network device.

[0034] In this embodiment, by utilizing the allocation identifier in the information frame, resources for probe responses are allocated to multiple second network devices on a resource unit basis. This achieves a more flexible resource allocation mechanism during MAP discovery. This approach effectively avoids channel conflicts, allowing multiple second network devices to perform probe responses simultaneously (within one TXOP). Furthermore, this approach eliminates the need for the first network device to establish a connection with the second network devices, making it applicable to a wider range of scenarios.

[0035] In current Wi-Fi standards, after a station (STA) establishes a connection with an access point (AP) and obtains an allocation identifier (AID), the AP can allocate a random access unit (RU) to the STA via a trigger frame. However, this disclosure can allocate RUs not only to APs (second network devices) that have established a connection and obtained an AID, but also to APs that have not established a connection and have not obtained an AID.

[0036] In some embodiments, the specified type of second network device includes at least one of the following: a second network device that has not negotiated an access point identifier, a second network device that has not been assigned an access point identifier, a second network device that has negotiated an access point identifier, and a second network device that has been assigned an access point identifier.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first network device can simultaneously allocate RA-RUs to one or more types of second network devices. The first network device can allocate one or more RA-RUs to each type of second network device; this disclosure does not impose any limitations on this. The first network device does not need to allocate resource units to each second network device individually. Especially when a connection has not been established between the second network devices, the first network device cannot predict the AP ID of the second network device and therefore cannot allocate RUs based on the AP ID. By allocating resource units to specified types of second network devices, this embodiment reduces the complexity of resource unit allocation on the first network device side and improves the applicability and flexibility of resource allocation. Even if a second network device has not been allocated / negotiated an AP ID, it can still acquire RA-RUs through contention, thereby improving MAP discovery efficiency.

[0038] In some embodiments, the allocation identifier is located in the AID12 field of the user information field. There are one or more first preset values, each specifying one or more second network devices of a specified type. For example, the AID12 field can be set to 2048, indicating that an AP that has not negotiated or been assigned an AP ID can preempt the RA-RU resource and reply with a probe response frame within the RA-RU resource. For example, the AID12 field can be set to 2049, indicating that an AP that has negotiated or been assigned an AP ID can preempt the RA-RU resource and reply with a probe response frame within the RA-RU resource.

[0039] In some embodiments, step S204 may include at least one of the following:

[0040] The first network device receives a probe response frame sent by the second network device indicated by the assigned AP ID on the RU corresponding to the assigned AP ID;

[0041] The first network device receives a probe response frame sent by a second network device of a specified type on the RA-RU corresponding to the first preset value, wherein the second network device of the specified type preempts the RA-RU through random access.

[0042] In some embodiments, the probe response frame may carry at least one of the following probe information: Service Set Identifier (SSID), Capability Information, requested information element, supported rate, high throughput capability, multi-AP cooperative capability set (e.g., Coordination Restricted Target Wake-up Time (Co-RTWT), Coordination Time Division Multiple Address (Co-TDMA), Coordination Spatial Reuse (Co-SR), Coordination Beamforming (Co-BF)), etc., wherein the requested information element may be probe information specified by the first network device through a probe request frame or information frame, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0043] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first network device can send an information frame with triggering function via broadcast. The structure of the information frame may include a user information field and a common information field, wherein the user information field is set for a specified recipient and the common information field is set for all recipients.

[0044] In some embodiments, the first network device may transmit information frames on a specific portion or the entire bandwidth of its operating channel, such as P20, P40, P80, P160, or the full 320MHz bandwidth. The type of the information frame may be a non-high-throughput duplicate Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (non-HT duplicate PPDU).

[0045] In traditional MAP discovery methods, non-HT duplicate PPDUs can solve the problem that two APs can only transmit probe request frames and probe response frames on their respective P20s. However, within each TXOP, only one probe response frame in non-HT duplicate PPDU format sent by one AP can be received, requiring waiting through multiple TXOPs to receive probe response frames from multiple APs. According to the method in this disclosure, multiple APs can send probe response frames on different resource units, completing the detection and discovery of multiple APs within a single TXOP, thereby improving MAP discovery efficiency.

[0046] In some embodiments, the information frame carries allocation information for multiple resource units, wherein the allocation information is set based on the operating channel information of the first network device. In this embodiment, each resource unit corresponds to one allocation information, which is used to indicate the location, size, and other information of the resource unit, so that the second network device can determine the specific resource location for sending the probe response frame. For example, relevant standards define various RUs of different sizes, including 26, 52, 106, 242, 484, and 996 subcarriers (tones), providing time-frequency resource blocks of different sizes to adapt to different communication needs. The allocation information for each resource unit may include the number of subcarriers of that resource unit.

[0047] In an exemplary embodiment, the allocation information can be set according to the size of the probe information that the first network device wants to acquire. For example, the first network device wants to acquire information related to the physical layer preamble (PHY preamble) of the second network device, such as some measurement-type information, including but not limited to: Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), Received Channel Power Indicator (RCPI), or Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). The minimum bandwidth required for this information is 20MHz. Therefore, the minimum number of subcarriers allocated to the resource unit in the information frame is 242 (approximately 20MHz).

[0048] In some embodiments, the information frame also carries the operating channel information of the first network device.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, the operating channel information may include an operating class and a channel number, wherein the operating class indicates the channel class to which the operating channel belongs, and the channel number indicates a specific channel number value in the channel set. The operating class and the channel number together indicate the operating bandwidth information and the center frequency information.

[0050] In another exemplary embodiment, the working channel information may include a center frequency, a primary 20 channel, and a bandwidth, wherein the center frequency refers to the center frequency of the working channel, the primary 20 channel refers to the primary 20 channel of the working channel, and the bandwidth indicates the bandwidth information.

[0051] In this embodiment, the first network device divides resource units based on its own operating channel information and transmits information frames on part or all of the bandwidth of its own operating channel. Furthermore, the channels of the first network device and the second network device may not completely overlap; the channel on which the second network device receives the information frame is only a portion of the channel of the first network device. Therefore, the information frame directly carries the operating channel information of the first network device, ensuring that the second network device can quickly and accurately locate the position of the resource unit.

[0052] In some embodiments, the type of the information frame may include one of the following:

[0053] Newly defined frame types, such as Probe Response Polling (PRP) frames, can be indicated by the Trigger Type subfield in the Common Info field.

[0054] Reuse older frame types, such as Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) frames, where BSRP frames use an information field, such as the Trigger Dependent Common Info field, to notify / instruct / request the second network device to use a probe response frame as the response frame.

[0055] In some embodiments, before step S202, the method may further include: step S201, whereby the first network device sends a probe request frame, wherein the probe request frame carries indication information indicating that the current active probe process is a triggered mode, or the probe request frame is used to notify the second network device to wait for the information frame to be received before sending the probe response frame.

[0056] The MAP discovery process in this embodiment is similar to the traditional MAP discovery process, both starting with the transmission of a probe request frame. The structure of the probe request frame can also be the traditional structure. The difference lies in that the probe request frame in this embodiment adds indication information to indicate that the current active probe process is triggered (by an information frame with triggering functionality). In the traditional MAP discovery process, the AP receiving the probe request frame can directly send back an acknowledgment frame after the Inter Frame Space (IFS) time interval. However, the AP receiving the probe request frame in this embodiment will continue to wait for an information frame with triggering functionality, and only send back a probe response frame after receiving the information frame.

[0057] The IFS involved in this disclosure may be one of Short Interframe Space (SIFS), Priority Interframe Space (PIFS), or Extended Interframe Space (EIFS).

[0058] In some embodiments, the Receiver Address (RA) in the Media Access Control (MAC) header of the probe request frame may be a broadcast address.

[0059] In some embodiments, the probe request frame type may include one of the following: non-HT duplicate PPDU, Ultra High Reliability duplicate PPDU (UHR duplicate PPDU), Enhanced Long Range PPDU (ELR PPDU), or Enhanced Long Range duplicate PPDU (ELR duplicate PPDU).

[0060] In some embodiments, the probe request frame also carries a Service Set Identifier (SSID) and / or capability information, wherein the probe request frame is used to notify a second network device that matches the Service Set Identifier and / or the capability information to send the probe response frame.

[0061] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the conditions set in the probe request frame and the conditions set in the information frame together restrict the probe target. The second network device needs to meet the conditions set in both frames simultaneously in order to send back a probe response frame.

[0062] In some embodiments, the information frame with triggering function is one of the following:

[0063] A single trigger frame;

[0064] The trigger frame formed by using frame aggregation technology is an aggregated frame with other management frames. For example, it can be an aggregated frame formed by aggregating probe request frames and trigger frames. The functions of probe request frames and trigger frames are included in one information frame for transmission, thereby saving channel resource overhead.

[0065] The trigger frame information is located in the Triggered Response Scheduling (TRS) control field of the Media Access Control (MAC) header. For example, the TRS information can be located in the A-control field of the MAC header.

[0066] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after obtaining channel access permission, the first network device can skip sending a probe request frame and directly send a separate trigger frame, thereby saving channel resource overhead and simplifying the MAP discovery process. Alternatively, after obtaining channel access permission, the first network device can first send a probe request frame and wait for the IFS time interval before sending a separate trigger frame.

[0067] In some embodiments, prior to step S202, the method may further include the following steps: the first network device acquires channel access permission for at least one sub-channel, wherein the at least one sub-channel includes the first network device's primary channel 20; the first network device sends a Clear to Send (CTS) frame or a CTS-to-self frame on the at least one sub-channel to indicate that the at least one sub-channel has been preempted, wherein the receiving address of the CTS frame is the media access control (MAC) address of the first network device. In this way, the first network device can effectively control the use of sub-channels and avoid channel conflicts.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first network device indicates the duration for which at least one sub-channel has been preempted via a duration field in a CTS frame or a CTS-to-self frame, wherein the duration is greater than or equal to the total time required for the first network device and the second network device to complete frame interaction. This ensures that the channels used for MAP discovery by the first and second network devices are not affected by channel preemption, improving the stability and reliability of the MAP discovery process.

[0069] In some embodiments, the first network device can generate a first public key and a private key locally. The private key is stored locally, and the public key information is included in the probe request frame / information frame with triggering function. When the second network device receives the probe request frame / information frame and needs to respond, it uses the public key information to encrypt some fields (such as fields related to sensitive user information) or all fields in the probe response frame and sends them to the first network device, thereby avoiding information leakage caused by malicious interception of the probe response frame.

[0070] In some embodiments, in order to protect some or all fields in the probe request frame and probe response frame simultaneously, the first network device uses pre-negotiated multicast key information (e.g., Group Temporal Key (GTK) GTK1) and key suite information (e.g., Key Identifier (KEYID)) to encrypt and protect the probe request frame before sending it to the second network device. After the second network device successfully decrypts the probe request frame using the same multicast key, it encrypts the probe response frame using a pre-negotiated unicast key (e.g., Pairwise Transient Key (PTK)) or a multicast key (e.g., GTK2; note: GTK1 and GTK2 may be the same or different) and sends it to the first network device. After the first network device can successfully parse the above information using the same unicast or multicast key, the interaction ends.

[0071] In some embodiments, to protect information frames with triggering functions from being tampered with or imitated, the first network device uses sound multicast key information negotiated with the second network device (e.g., Integrity Group Temporal Key (IGTK1)) to add a Message Integrity Code (MIC) generated based on IGTK1, Integraty Packet Number (IPN), and other information to the end of the information frame and sends it to the second network device. If the second network device generates the same MIC value using the same IGTK and IPN, it is determined that the triggering frame has not been attacked.

[0072] In some embodiments, to protect against attacks that tamper with or mimic the TRS control field in an information frame / probe request frame with trigger frame functionality, the first network device may use the following information as part of the information used to generate the MIC:

[0073] A robust multicast key (such as IGTK1) negotiated with the second network device;

[0074] TRS information is part of Additional Authentication Data (AAD) information;

[0075] The Packet Number (PN) information is located in the Management MIC Element (MME) field.

[0076] The first network device can add the MME field containing MIC information to the end of the frame information field (but before the Frame Check Sequence (FCS) field) and send it to the second network device. If the second network device generates the same MIC value using the same IGTK1, PN and AAD information containing TRS, it can be determined that the probe request frame / information frame has not been attacked.

[0077] The multi-access point (MAP) discovery method proposed in this disclosure achieves efficient multi-access point discovery by having a first network device send a trigger-enabled information frame to notify a second network device to send a probe response frame on a specific resource unit. This method improves communication efficiency between network devices, enabling multiple network devices to simultaneously send probe response frames to different resource units, thus solving the problem of low efficiency in the multi-access point discovery process in related technologies and ultimately improving the efficiency of multi-access point discovery. Furthermore, embodiments of this disclosure encrypt the interaction frames between the first and second network devices using a key during the MAP discovery process, thereby preventing information frame attacks, ensuring information security, and preventing information leakage.

[0078] This disclosure also provides a multi-access point discovery method for the aforementioned network device, applied to a second network device. Figure 3 is a flowchart of the multi-access point discovery method for the second network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the process includes the following steps:

[0079] Step S302: The second network device receives an information frame with triggering function sent by the first network device;

[0080] Step S304: The second network device determines, based on the information frame, that it will send a probe response frame on the resource unit allocated by the first network device.

[0081] Step S306: The second network device sends a probe response frame to the first network device on the resource unit.

[0082] In this embodiment, the first network device and the second network device can be an access point (AP), a wireless router, etc., used to provide wireless network access services for wireless devices, but this disclosure is not limited to this. The first network device is the initiator of the MAP active discovery / probing process, sending information frames via broadcast. The second network device is the probed object that receives the information frames, and sends back probe information to the first network device via a probe response frame.

[0083] In this embodiment of the disclosure, if there are multiple second network devices, each second network device can perform a probe response according to steps S302 to S306 described above. During the multi-access point discovery process, the first network device initiates a MAP active probe, using an information frame with triggering function to indicate the resource unit allocated to the second network devices. Multiple second network devices simultaneously feed back probe response frames on their respective resource units, solving the problem of low efficiency in the multi-access point discovery process in related technologies, thereby achieving the effect of improving the efficiency of multi-access point discovery.

[0084] In some embodiments, the probe response frame is of type Trigger Based Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (TB PPDU). The second network device needs to support sending TB PPDUs in order to respond to information frames with trigger functionality and send probe response frames of this type.

[0085] In some embodiments, step S304 may include the following steps:

[0086] Step S3042, the second network device parses the information frame to obtain the allocation identifiers of multiple resource units;

[0087] In step S3044A, in response to the allocation identifier being a first preset value and the second network device being a second network device of a specified type, the second network device preempts the resource unit through random access, and if the preemption is successful, determines that it will send the probe response frame on the resource unit.

[0088] In this embodiment, each resource unit corresponds to an allocation identifier. When the allocation identifier is a first preset value, the corresponding resource unit type is RA-RU, and the RA-RU is allocated to a second network device of a specified type. There can be one or more second network devices of the specified type. If there is only one, the second network device can directly obtain the right to use the resource unit. If there are multiple second network devices, they need to determine the unique second network device to obtain the right to use the resource unit through random access (RA). In this way, the MAP discovery / probing process is realized without the second network devices establishing negotiation, improving the efficiency and applicability of MAP discovery. This disclosure does not limit the specific process of random access.

[0089] In some other embodiments, step S304 may include the following steps:

[0090] Step S3042, the second network device parses the information frame to obtain the allocation identifiers of multiple resource units;

[0091] In step S3044B, in response to the allocation identifier being the same as the access point identifier allocated by the second network device, the second network device determines that it will send the probe response frame on the resource unit.

[0092] In this embodiment, if the second network device has established a connection and has been assigned an Access Point ID (AP ID), the first network device can allocate a specified resource unit to the second network device and set the allocation identifier of the resource unit to the AP ID of the second network device. This method can enable the second network device to determine the resource unit for probe response more quickly and accurately, thereby improving the probe response speed of the second network device.

[0093] In some embodiments, the type of the information frame may include one of the following:

[0094] Newly defined frame types, such as Probe Response Polling (PRP) frames, can be indicated by the Trigger Type subfield in the Common Info field.

[0095] Reuse older frame types, such as Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) frames, where BSRP frames use an information field, such as the Trigger Dependent Common Info field, to notify / instruct / request the second network device to use a probe response frame as the response frame.

[0096] In some embodiments, before step S302, the method may further include: step S301, whereby the second network device receives a probe request frame sent by the first network device, wherein the probe request frame carries indication information indicating that the current active probe process is a triggered mode, or the probe request frame is used to notify the second network device to wait for the information frame to be received before sending the probe response frame.

[0097] In this embodiment, upon receiving a probe request frame, the second network device does not determine whether the current probe / discovery process is triggered. If it is not triggered, it can send back a probe response frame according to the relevant provisions in the standard. If it is triggered, it needs to wait for an information frame with triggering functionality. This approach allows the second network device to distinguish whether the probe / discovery process is a traditional method or the triggered method involved in this disclosure (or a trigger-based MAP discovery process) after receiving a probe request frame.

[0098] In some embodiments, the probe request frame further carries a Service Set Identifier (SSID) and / or capability information, wherein the probe request frame is used to notify a second network device matching the Service Set Identifier and / or the capability information to send the probe response frame. In this embodiment, the conditions set in the probe request frame and the conditions set in the information frame together restrict the probe target; the second network device must simultaneously meet the conditions set in both frames to send a probe response frame.

[0099] In some embodiments, the information frame with triggering function is one of the following:

[0100] A single trigger frame;

[0101] The trigger frame formed by using frame aggregation technology is an aggregated frame with other management frames. For example, it can be an aggregated frame formed by aggregating probe request frames and trigger frames. The functions of probe request frames and trigger frames are included in one information frame for transmission, thereby saving channel resource overhead.

[0102] The trigger frame information is located in the Trigger Response Scheduler (TRS) control field of the Media Access Control (MAC) header. For example, the TRS information may be located in the A-control field of the MAC header.

[0103] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after obtaining channel access permission, the first network device can skip sending a probe request frame and directly send a separate trigger frame, thereby saving channel resource overhead and simplifying the MAP discovery process. Alternatively, after obtaining channel access permission, the first network device can first send a probe request frame and wait for the IFS time interval before sending a separate trigger frame. Furthermore, the probe request frame and the trigger frame can be sent using frame aggregation technology, further saving channel resource overhead.

[0104] In some embodiments, during the MAP discovery process, the interaction frames (such as information frames, probe response frames, etc.) between the first network device and the second network device can also be encrypted with a key to prevent information frames from being attacked, ensuring information security and preventing information leakage. Specific encryption methods can be found in the specific embodiments on the first network device side, and will not be elaborated here.

[0105] The multi-access point discovery method proposed in this disclosure achieves efficient multi-access point discovery by having a first network device send a trigger-enabled information frame to notify a second network device to send a probe response frame on a specific resource unit. This method improves the communication efficiency between network devices, enables multiple network devices to simultaneously send probe response frames on different resource units, and solves the problem of low efficiency in the multi-access point discovery process in related technologies, thereby improving the efficiency of multi-access point discovery.

[0106] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a probe response polling frame is newly defined as an information frame with a triggering function. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of the probe response polling frame in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the probe response polling (PRP) frame includes the following structure:

[0107] The MAC header includes common information, a user information list, padding, Integrity Frame Number (IPN), Integrity Frame Check (MIC), and check information.

[0108] The MAC header of a PRP frame may include the following fields: Frame Control (FC), Duration, Receive Address (RA), and Transmit Address (TA).

[0109] The common information of a PRP frame may include the following fields: trigger type, UL length, additional TF, carrier sense (CS) requirement, uplink bandwidth (UL BW), symbol spacing (GI), high efficiency long training (HE-LTF) type, multi-user input-output (MU-MIMO) HE-LTF mode, initiating AP power, and trigger frame dependency common information.

[0110] The user information list in the PRP frame may include multiple sets of user information. Each set of user information may include the following fields: AID12, RU allocation, uplink error correction code type, uplink MCS value, uplink dual-carrier modulation (UL DCM), spatial stream allocation / RA-RU information, UL target received power, reservation, and independent user information. Detailed descriptions of each field in the PRP frame are shown in Table 1.

[0111] Table 1

[0112] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first network device can use the AID12 field to allocate resource units to multiple second network devices, so as to instruct the second network devices to perform probe responses on the corresponding allocated resource units respectively, thereby enabling the first network device to receive probe response frames from multiple second network devices within one TXOP, which improves the efficiency of the MAP active discovery process.

[0113] The specific application of the MAP discovery method in this disclosure will be explained in detail below, taking Figures 5 and 6 as examples.

[0114] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the deployment model of the working channels of multiple access points in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the working channels of multiple APs are deployed as follows:

[0115] AP1 operates with a bandwidth of 80MHz, while P20 is located on the first 20MHz band.

[0116] AP2 has a working bandwidth of 40MHz, and P20 is located on the first 20MHz.

[0117] AP3 operates with a bandwidth of 40MHz, while P20 is located on the second 20MHz band.

[0118] AP4 operates with a bandwidth of 80MHz, while P20 is located on the fourth 20MHz band.

[0119] AP1 and AP2 have already negotiated via MAP, and AP1 has assigned AP ID APID2 to AP2.

[0120] Taking AP1 in Figure 5 as the initiator of the active discovery process (i.e., the first network device), the specific flow of AP1's discovery process and signaling interaction with AP2 / AP3 / AP4 (i.e., multiple second network devices) is as follows.

[0121] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the active discovery process based on the triggering method in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the process includes the following four stages:

[0122] 1) After AP1 acquires TXOP, it sends CTS-to-Self frames on four 20MHz channels to indicate channel preemption;

[0123] 2) After the Inter Frame Space (IFS) interval, transmit non-HT duplicate PPDU type probe request frames on four 20MHz bands. For example, the IFS may include, but is not limited to, the Short Inter Frame Space (SIFS).

[0124] 3) After the IFS time interval, send a non-HT duplicate PPDU type information frame with triggering function, such as a Probe Response Polling (PRP) frame.

[0125] The PRP frame carries allocation identifiers for multiple RUs. The AID12 field corresponding to RU1 is set to APID2, indicating that RU1 is allocated to AP2 corresponding to APID2; the AID12 field corresponding to RU2, RU3 and RU4 is set to a special AP ID, indicating that the RU is an RA-RU, and any AP that has not negotiated can preempt the RU resource.

[0126] 4) After AP2, AP3 and AP4 receive the probe request frames and PRP frames of the above types on their P20, they calculate the specific location of each RU according to the AP1 working channel information and RU allocation information indicated by the probe request frame. After the IFS time interval, AP2 sends a probe response frame on RU1. At the same time, AP3 and AP4 select / preempt RU2 and RU4 of the RA-RU type through random access, respectively. AP3 sends a probe response frame on RU2 and AP4 sends a probe response frame on RU4.

[0127] After the above round of information frame interaction, AP1 can obtain information from AP2, AP3, and AP4, thereby realizing the MAP active discovery process within one TXOP. This solves the problem of low efficiency in the multi-access point discovery process in related technologies and achieves the effect of improving the efficiency of multi-access point discovery.

[0128] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods according to the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this disclosure, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk), and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0129] This disclosure also provides a network device configured to perform multiple access point discovery according to the steps in the various method embodiments of the first network device side described above. For example, the network device may include a memory and one or more processors, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the method embodiments of the first network device side described above.

[0130] This disclosure also provides a network device configured to perform multiple access point discovery according to the steps in the various method embodiments of the second network device side described above. Exemplarily, the network device may include a memory and one or more processors, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the method embodiments of the second network device side described above.

[0131] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0132] In one exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media capable of storing computer programs, such as a USB flash drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard disk, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0133] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0134] In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic device may further include a transmission device and an input / output device, wherein the transmission device is connected to the processor and the input / output device is connected to the processor.

[0135] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the method embodiments described above.

[0136] Specific examples in this embodiment can be found in the examples described in the above embodiments and exemplary implementations, and will not be repeated here.

[0137] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the modules or steps of this disclosure described above can be implemented using general-purpose computing devices. They can be centralized on a single computing device or distributed across a network of multiple computing devices. They can be implemented using computer-executable program code, and thus can be stored in a storage device for execution by a computing device. In some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than those presented herein, or they can be fabricated as separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated as a single integrated circuit module. Thus, this disclosure is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0138] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Various modifications and variations can be made to this disclosure by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A multi-access point discovery method, applied to a first network device, comprising: The first network device sends an information frame with a triggering function, wherein the information frame is used to notify the second network device to send a probe response frame on the allocated resource unit; The first network device receives a probe response frame sent by at least one second network device on a corresponding resource unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information frame carries allocation identifiers for multiple resource units, wherein, In response to the allocation identifier being a first preset value, the allocation identifier is used to allocate the corresponding resource unit to a second network device of a specified type, wherein the second network device of the specified type preempts the resource unit through random access, and the second network device that successfully preempts sends a probe response frame on the resource unit; or... In response to the allocation identifier being an allocated access point identifier, the allocation identifier is used to allocate the corresponding resource unit to the designated second network device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The specified type of second network device includes at least one of the following: a second network device that has not negotiated an access point identifier, a second network device that has not been assigned an access point identifier, a second network device that has negotiated an access point identifier, and a second network device that has been assigned an access point identifier.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The type of the probe response frame is a trigger-type Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (TB PPDU).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information frame carries allocation information for multiple resource units, wherein the allocation information is set based on the working channel information of the first network device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The information frame also carries the operating channel information of the first network device, wherein... The working channel information includes the working channel category and channel number; or... The working channel information includes the center frequency, the main 20 channel, and the bandwidth.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The types of the information frames include: The probe responds to polling PRP frames; or... The cached status report polls BSRP frames, wherein the BSRP frames carry a trigger dependency public information field, which is used to notify the second network device to use the probe response frame as a response frame.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before the first network device sends an information frame with triggering function, the method further includes: The first network device sends a probe request frame, wherein the probe request frame carries indication information indicating that the current active probe process is triggered, or the probe request frame is used to notify the second network device to wait for the information frame to be received before sending the probe response frame.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The probe request frame also carries a service set identifier and / or capability information, wherein the probe request frame is used to notify a second network device that matches the service set identifier and / or the capability information to send the probe response frame.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information frame with triggering function is one of the following: A single trigger frame; A trigger frame generated using frame aggregation technology is aggregated with other management frames. The trigger frame information is located in the information frame of the Trigger Response Scheduler (TRS) control field of the Media Access Control (MAC) header.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before the first network device sends an information frame with triggering function, the method further includes: The first network device obtains channel access permission for at least one sub-channel, wherein the at least one sub-channel includes the first network device's main 20 channel; The first network device sends a clear transmit CTS frame or a self-clear transmit CTS-to-self frame on the at least one sub-channel to indicate that the at least one sub-channel has been preempted, wherein the receiving address of the CTS frame is the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the first network device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The first network device indicates the length of time that the at least one sub-channel is preempted through the duration field in the CTS frame or the CTS-to-self frame, wherein the duration is greater than or equal to the total time required for the first network device and the second network device to complete frame interaction.

13. A multi-access point discovery method, applied to the second network device side, comprising: The second network device receives a trigger-enabled information frame sent by the first network device; The second network device determines, based on the information frame, that it will send a probe response frame on the resource unit allocated by the first network device; The second network device sends the probe response frame to the first network device on the resource unit.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The second network device determines, based on the information frame, that it will send a probe response frame on the resource unit allocated by the first network device, including: The second network device parses the information frame to obtain allocation identifiers for multiple resource units; In response to the allocation identifier being a first preset value and the second network device being a second network device of a specified type, the second network device preempts the resource unit through random access, and if the preemption is successful, determines that it will send the probe response frame on the resource unit.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The second network device determines, based on the information frame, that it will send a probe response frame on the resource unit allocated by the first network device, including: The second network device parses the information frame to obtain allocation identifiers for multiple resource units; In response to the fact that the allocation identifier is the same as the access point identifier allocated by the second network device, the second network device determines that it will send the probe response frame on the resource unit.

16. A network device configured to perform multiple access point discovery according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

17. A network device configured to perform multiple access point discovery according to the method of any one of claims 13 to 15.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 12, or the steps of the method described in any one of claims 13 to 15.

19. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 12, or the steps of the method described in any one of claims 13 to 15.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 13 to 15.

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