Make-Before-Break Handover in Multi-Link Wireless Networks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless communication systems experience data interruption and delay during handovers between access points due to the need for a break-before-make handover procedure, which involves a 4-way handshake and re-association process.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a make-before-break handover technique using multi-link operation (MLO) architecture, where non-collocated access points are affiliated as a single multi-link device (MLD), allowing concurrent use of multiple radio links to enable seamless handovers without re-association and data path disruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If break-before-make handover procedure is used, then connection reliability is maintained, but handover delay and data interruption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes affiliation relationships between access points in advance, creating a pre-configured multi-link device structure. This preliminary setup allows the wireless station to quickly switch between affiliated access points during handover without requiring real-time authentication or re-association, thereby reducing handover delay while maintaining connection reliability through the pre-established affiliation framework
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the concept of an affiliated access point as an intermediary entity that can serve as a temporary communication bridge during handover. The affiliated AP maintains affiliation relationships with multiple access points and can forward data packets, acting as a mediator that enables seamless handover without direct re-association between the wireless station and target access point, thus reducing handover delay while preserving connection reliability
2Reliability
If re-association process is performed during handover, then network security is maintained, but handover complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs security authentication and affiliation establishment in advance, before the handover actually occurs. The affiliated access points establish their affiliation relationships and security contexts beforehand, so that during handover the wireless station can simply switch to the affiliated AP without performing a full re-association process. This preliminary security setup maintains network security while dramatically reducing handover complexity and processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates affiliation relationships that replicate the security and network context from the serving access point to the affiliated access point. Instead of performing a complete re-association process, the system copies the necessary security parameters and network context to the affiliated AP, which then serves as a valid access point for the wireless station. This copying approach maintains security requirements while simplifying the handover process
Data Source
AI summary
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide A method for wireless communication at a first wireless station, generally including communicating, via a first link, with a first access point (AP) affiliated with a multi-link device (MLD), enabling a second link with a second AP affiliated with the MLD, communicating, during a handover of the first wireless station from the first AP to the second AP, with the first AP via the first link and with the second AP via the second link, and disabling the first link with the first AP after completion of the handover.