Multiple BSSID Beacon Broadcast for Non-EMA Station Interoperability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interoperability issues arise between Enhanced Multiple BSSID Advertisement (EMA) access points and non-EMA stations due to non-EMA stations' inability to properly interpret partial lists of nontransmitted BSSID profiles in beacon frames, leading to potential disconnection from nontransmitted BSSIDs.
Innovation Solution
Broadcasting multiple beacon frames carrying full sets of nontransmitted BSSID information at periodic intervals, ensuring each nontransmitted BSSID profile is advertised with a periodicity equal to one beacon interval, allowing non-EMA stations to receive a complete set of profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an EMA AP distributes nontransmitted BSSID profiles across multiple beacon frames at different TBTTs, then the beacon frame size and transmission efficiency are improved, but non-EMA STAs cannot properly interpret the partial lists and may lose connection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the full set of nontransmitted BSSID profiles into multiple groups, with each group carried in a separate beacon frame. The Multiple BSSID Configuration Element includes a Full Set Receive Periodicity (FSRP) field that indicates how many beacon frames a STA needs to receive to obtain the complete profile set. This segmentation allows efficient distribution while providing guidance to STAs for reliable reception.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic transmission of beacon frames containing different groups of nontransmitted BSSID profiles at specified Target Beacon Transmission Times (TBTTs). The FSRP field establishes a periodic pattern that helps STAs understand when to expect complete profile information, enabling both EMA and non-EMA STAs to reliably acquire full profiles through periodic reception.
2Productivity
If a STA receives only partial nontransmitted BSSID profiles in each beacon frame from an EMA AP, then the beacon transmission can be more efficient, but the STA cannot establish proper association with nontransmitted BSSIDs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates the FSRP field in the Multiple BSSID Configuration Element as a feedback mechanism that tells STAs how many beacon frames they need to collect to obtain complete nontransmitted BSSID profiles. This feedback enables STAs to understand the partial nature of each beacon's content and know when they have received sufficient information for proper association.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares and transmits multiple beacon frames in advance, each containing a specific group of nontransmitted BSSID profiles. By pre-organizing the profiles into manageable groups and transmitting them according to a predetermined pattern indicated by FSRP, the system enables STAs to accumulate complete profile sets through sequential reception of these pre-prepared beacon frames.
3Productivity
If non-EMA STAs are required to wait multiple TBTTs to receive complete nontransmitted BSSID profiles, then the beacon transmission efficiency is improved, but the waiting time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the beacon transmission system dynamic by allowing the FSRP value to be configurable based on the total number of nontransmitted BSSID profiles and the capacity of individual beacon frames. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the balance between transmission efficiency and STA waiting time, adapting the periodicity to the specific network conditions and profile set size.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides methods, devices and systems for establishing and maintaining connectivity between access points (APs) that provide multiple BSSID sets and wireless stations (STAs) that do not support enhanced multiple BSSID advertisement (EMA). In some implementations, a wireless communication device may transmit a burst of beacon frames each carrying a respective partial list of nontransmitted BSSID profiles for a multiple BSSID set. In such implementations, the bursts of beacon frames may be transmitted periodically such that the start of each burst occurs one beacon interval after the start of a prior burst. In some other implementations, a wireless communication device may broadcast multiple beacon frames each carrying a full set of nontransmitted BSSID profiles associated with a respective multiple BSSID set. In such implementations, each beacon frame may be periodically broadcast every beacon interval.