Wi-Fi 7 Access Point Probe Response Coordination via Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
In crowded wireless environments, multiple Wi-Fi 7 access points responding to probe requests degrade communication performance due to duplicitous probe responses, and existing solutions fail to effectively coordinate these responses, precluding the station's ability to choose the best access point for connection.
Innovation Solution
A Wi-Fi controller forms multiple access point coordination groups with overlapping radio signal coverage and selects one access point to respond to probe requests based on RSSI values, sending a single probe response with RNR data while inhibiting additional responses from other access points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If multiple access points respond to probe requests in overlapping coverage areas, then comprehensive connection information is provided to stations, but communication performance degrades due to duplicitous probe responses and increased overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coordinator access point as an intermediary that receives probe requests from stations and selectively forwards them to specific access points within the coordination group. This mediator prevents duplicate probe responses by controlling which access points receive and respond to probe requests, thereby maintaining comprehensive connection information availability while eliminating performance degradation from multiple responses.
2Loss of information
If all access points in overlapping coverage areas send probe responses, then stations receive complete connection information, but wireless bandwidth is wasted due to duplicate responses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the function of providing connection information from multiple access points and consolidates it into a single coordinator access point. The coordinator collects connection information from all access points in the coordination group and provides it through a single probe response, thereby eliminating duplicate responses and conserving wireless bandwidth while maintaining information completeness.
3Ease of operation
If stations can choose the best access point for connection, then connection quality is optimized, but network control over station connections is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the coordinator access point receives probe requests from stations, evaluates which access points in the coordination group are suitable based on current network conditions, and selectively forwards probe requests to appropriate access points. This allows the network to maintain control over connection quality by using feedback from probe requests to make intelligent forwarding decisions, while still enabling stations to connect to the best access point based on real-time conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A Wi-Fi controller receives notification of a probe request of a station that was received from each at least two of the at least two of the two or more Wi-Fi 7 access points of a multiple access point coordination group. The probe requests are each sourced from the station while within the at least partially overlapped radio signal coverage area. The Wi-Fi controller selects one of the at least two of the two or more access points to respond to the probe request with a probe response with a single probe response to the station, in response to the multiple probe requests, by notifying the selected access point to send the single probe response including an RNR (reduced neighbor report) data providing connection information for the at least two access points. The other of the at least two Wi-Fi 7 access points refrain from sending additional probe responses to the station.