Wireless Access Point Load Balancing via Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current load balancing methods for wireless access points are inadequate, as they fail to accurately reflect the effective load of access points, particularly for Eufi-type wireless access points, leading to inefficient resource allocation and user experience issues due to transient data congestion.
Innovation Solution
A method where a wireless access point exceeding its preset load upper limit sends a load balance request to other access points, receiving feedback messages with their load and connection authentication information, and selects the access point with the minimum load for the mobile station to access, ensuring efficient load balancing without disrupting data services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple APs exist to promote the number of accessing STAs and guarantee network signal condition, then the network coverage and signal quality are improved, but the load balancing between APs becomes complex and STAs may be continually rejected causing access failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where APs send load status information to STAs, and STAs provide access request feedback. The AC collects load information from multiple APs and provides feedback to STAs to guide them to select APs with appropriate load levels, creating a closed-loop control system that dynamically balances load across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an Access Controller (AC) as an intermediary between STAs and multiple APs. The AC centralizes the load balancing decision-making process by collecting load status from APs and guiding STAs to appropriate APs, simplifying the complexity by removing direct STA-AP negotiation overhead and providing centralized coordination.
2Productivity
If AP load judgment is based on simple indicators such as signal quality and number of STAs, then the load detection is simple and fast, but the load assessment is inaccurate and does not reflect effective load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the load assessment parameters from simple indicators (signal quality, STA count) to a comprehensive metric that includes both the number of associated STAs and the total bandwidth occupied by their data streams. This parameter transformation enables more accurate load reflection while maintaining computational efficiency through standardized measurement methods.
3Measurement precision
If AC calculates wireless load considering number of STAs and traffic of each interface, then the load judgment is more comprehensive, but the system complexity and computational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where APs autonomously measure and report their own load status to the AC, and STAs autonomously select APs based on provided load information. This distributes the measurement burden and reduces the computational complexity at the AC, while maintaining comprehensive load assessment through standardized reporting formats.
4Ease of operation
If STA selects AP based on signal intensity of Beacon messages, then the connection establishment is simple, but the selected AP may be overloaded causing connection rejection and access failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the AC pre-calculate and provide load status information to STAs before STA initiates connection requests. STAs use this advance load information to pre-select APs that are likely to accept connections, avoiding the trial-and-error approach of simple signal-based selection and reducing connection rejection rates.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for a mobile terminal accessing wireless access points and a wireless access point are disclosed. The method is applied in a wireless network composed of the wireless access points, and includes: after acquiring an access request of a mobile station, when determining that a load of itself exceeds a preset first load upper limit, according to acquired connection information of other wireless access points in the present wireless network, a first wireless access point sends a load balance request to all the other wireless access points; a wireless access point receiving the load balance request sends a load balance feedback message to the first wireless access point, wherein a load of itself and connection authentication information required for accessing the present wireless access point are carried in the load balance feedback message; the first wireless access point selects a load balance feedback message carrying a minimum load from all received load balance feedback messages, and then sends the connection authentication information carried in the selected load balance feedback message carrying the minimum load to the mobile station; and the mobile station initiates an access flow to a corresponding wireless access point according to the received connection authentication information.