Basic Service Set Load Information for WLAN Network Selection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless devices experience performance degradation due to the time-consuming process of finding a suitable wireless network, particularly affecting low-latency and high-reliability communications in wireless local area networks (WLANs).

Innovation Solution

Providing detailed basic service set load information, including channel utilization, load history, and power save operation details, to assist wireless devices in selecting the most suitable access point for connection, thereby reducing scanning time and enhancing the precision of network selection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If wireless devices perform comprehensive scanning to find suitable access points, then network selection accuracy is improved, but scanning time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork selection accuracyVSAvoidscanning time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The access point collects and publishes load information for multiple basic service sets in advance through beacon frames and probe response frames. This preliminary action allows wireless devices to obtain comprehensive network status information without performing extensive active scanning, thereby improving network selection accuracy while reducing scanning time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The access point acts as an intermediary that aggregates load information from multiple basic service sets and makes it available to wireless devices. Instead of devices directly scanning and evaluating each access point individually, the serving access point mediates by providing consolidated load information, reducing the overall scanning burden while maintaining selection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If wireless devices perform detailed scanning of multiple access points, then network selection precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork selection precisionVSAvoidscanning process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the complex task of collecting and analyzing load information from multiple access points and relocates it to the serving access point. The serving access point extracts and publishes load information for multiple basic service sets, relieving wireless devices from the complexity of performing detailed scanning and analysis across multiple access points while maintaining high selection precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Measurement precision

If access points provide detailed load information for multiple basic service sets, then network selection accuracy is improved, but information overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork selection accuracyVSAvoidinformation overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by selectively including load information for multiple basic service sets in beacon and probe response frames based on relevance and current network conditions. Rather than providing exhaustive information for all possible service sets, the system provides sufficient load information to enable accurate network selection while controlling the amount of information overhead through targeted inclusion of pertinent load data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4531460A1Detailed basic service set load information
Publication Date: 2025.04.02 APPLE INC
  • EP4531460A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4531460A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4531460A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This disclosure relates to methods for providing detailed basic service set load information in a wireless local area network. A wireless device may receive basic service set load information including one or more of overlapping basic service set channel utilization information, in basic service set channel utilization information for a basic service set, or load history information for the basic service set. The wireless device may select a basic service set with which to associate based at least in part on the load information for the basic service set.