Virtual Access Point Merging for Seamless Wi-Fi Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
In high-frequency band wireless communication systems, such as Wi-Fi, service interruptions and signaling overheads occur when a station moves or changes direction, requiring it to switch between access points, leading to service disruptions and increased signaling burdens.
Innovation Solution
A communications method and device where an access point set, comprising a control access point and member access points, sends frames with a shared sending address, allowing the station to consider the access point set as a single entity, thereby avoiding the need for access point switching and reducing service interruptions and signaling overheads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the station switches between access points when moving or changing direction, then the station can maintain communication with the network, but service interruption occurs and signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple access points into a single virtual access point by using a common sending address (the controller's address) for all downlink frames. This makes the access point set appear as one unified entity to the station, eliminating the need for access point switching and thus avoiding service interruption and signaling overhead associated with switching between multiple access points
2Reliability
If the station switches between access points when moving or changing direction, then the station can maintain communication with the network, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple access points into a single virtual access point by using a common sending address (the controller's address) for all downlink frames. This makes the access point set appear as one unified entity to the station, eliminating the need for access point switching and thus avoiding service interruption and signaling overhead associated with switching between multiple access points
Data Source
AI summary
A communications method and device, to reduce service interruption time and signaling overheads that are generated when an access point that provides a communication service for a station changes because the station moves or changes a direction. First frames sent by different access points in an access point set to a station include a same sending address. In this way, when the station moves or changes a direction, the access point that provides the communication service for the station changes from one access point in the access point set to another access point. Because first frames sent by access points in the access point set include a same sending address, the station may consider the access point set as one access point.