FAST INITIAL LINK SETUP (FILS) PROTOCOL TO SUPPORT MULTIPLE BASIC SERVICES SETS

• US 20200137550A1
• Filed: 10/29/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Patil, Abhishek Pramod, Cherian, George, Malinen, Jouni Kalevi, Asterjadhi, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US16/667,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20200137550A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, to communicate discovery information regarding multiple basic service sets (BSSs) hosted at an apparatus. A group of BSSs having related basic service set identifiers (BSSIDs) may form a Multiple BSSID set. A first BSS may be referred to as having a transmitted BSSID (TxBSSID), while one or more other BSSs of the Multiple BSSID set may be referred to as having non-transmitted BSSIDs (NonTxBSSIDs). The apparatus can send discovery information for a station to determine the NonTxBSSIDs in addition to the TxBSSID. For example, the discovery information may be included in a fast-initial link setup (FILS) discovery (FD) frame that is sent between normal beacon times. This disclosure describes several ways to modify the FD frame to accommodate sending the discovery information for the Multiple BSSID set.

Claims

1. A method performed by a wireless local area network (WLAN) apparatus, comprising:

operating multiple basic service sets (BSSs) at the WLAN apparatus, wherein each of the BSSs are identified by BSS identifiers (BSSIDs) and collectively the multiple BSSs form a Multiple BSSID Set, wherein a first BSS is identified as a transmitting BSSID (TxBSSID) of the Multiple BSSID Set and is configured to transmit one or more management frames that include elements for other BSSs of the Multiple BSSID Set, the other BSSs each identified as a non-transmitting BSSID (NonTxBSSID); and

transmitting a first discovery report via the first BSS, wherein the first discovery report includes discovery information regarding at least one NonTxBSSID of the Multiple BSSID Set.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the multiple BSSs of the Multiple BSSID Set use a common operating class, channel, channel access function, and antenna connector at the WLAN apparatus, and

wherein the multiple BSSs are identified by BSSIDs that have a common portion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first discovery report includes the TxBSSID of the first BSS as a source of the first discovery report, and wherein the first discovery report includes NonTxBSSIDs for each of the other BSSIDs in the Multiple BSSID Set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first discovery report includes a first set of NonTxBSSIDs of the Multiple BSSID Set, the method further comprising:

transmitting a second discovery report via the first VAP, wherein the second discovery report includes a second set of NonTxBSSIDs of the Multiple BSSID Set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first discovery report is included in an information element of a fast-initial link setup (FILS) discovery (FD) frame defined for a FILS protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first discovery report is included in a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element of a management frame.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the RNR element is included in a fast-initial link setup (FILS) discovery (FD) frame that conforms to a FILS protocol of the WLAN, a Beacon frame, or Probe Response frame.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the RNR element includes a first field to indicate a format of the RNR element, wherein the first field is populated with a first value when the RNR element is formatted with a first format to include information regarding a neighbor AP, and, wherein the first field is populated with a second value when the RNR element is formatted with a second format to include information regarding the Multiple BSSID Set.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first format and the second format include different field definitions for one or more other fields in the RNR element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first discovery report includes an indicator to whether the discovery information includes a complete list or a partial list of NonTXBSSIDs in the Multiple BSSID Set.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first discovery report includes at least one short service set identifier (Short SSID), the Short SSID being a fixed length hash of a service set identifier (SSID).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the discovery information includes a count of the multiple BSSs associated with a Multiple BSSID Set.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the discovery information includes a bitmap index that represents which BSSs of a Multiple BSSID Set are being hosted at the WLAN apparatus.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the bitmap index and a BSS identifier (BSSID) are usable by a station (STA) to determine a list of BSSIDS associated with the Multiple BSSID Set.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first discovery report includes a maximum basic service set identifier (MaxBSSID) indicator associated with the Multiple BSSID Set the MaxBSSID indicator for indicating a maximum quantity of BSSIDs in the Multiple BSSID Set.

16. A method performed by a station (STA) for communicating with a wireless local area network (WLAN) apparatus, comprising:

receiving a first discovery report from the WLAN apparatus that operates multiple basic service sets (BSSs), wherein each of the BSSs are identified by BSS identifiers (BSSIDs) and collectively the multiple BSSs form a Multiple BSSID Set, wherein a first BSS is identified as a transmitting BSSID (TxBSSID) of the Multiple BSSID Set, the other BSSs each identified by a non-transmitting BSSID (NonTxBSSID);

obtaining, from the first discovery report, discovery information regarding one or more other BSSs in the Multiple BSSID Set; and

determining, from the discovery information, a list of (NonTxBSSIDs for at least a subset of the one or more other BSSs hosted by the WLAN apparatus.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first discovery report is included in a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element of a management frame.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the RNR element is included in a fast-initial link setup (FILS) discovery (FD) frame that conforms to a FILS protocol of the WLAN, a Beacon frame, or Probe Response frame.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the RNR element includes a first field to indicate a format of the RNR element, wherein the first field is populated with a first value when the RNR element is formatted with a first format to include information regarding a neighbor AP, and, wherein the first field is populated with a second value when the RNR element is formatted with a second format to include information regarding the Multiple BSSID Set.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first format and the second format include different field definitions for one or more other fields in the RNR element.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the first discovery report includes at least one short service set identifier (Short SSID), the Short SSID being a fixed length hash of a service set identifier (SSID).

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the discovery information includes a count of the multiple BSSs associated with a Multiple BSSID Set.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the discovery information includes a bitmap index that represents which BSSs of a Multiple BSSID Set are being hosted at the WLAN apparatus.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the bitmap index and a BSS identifier (BSSID) are usable by a station (STA) to determine a list of BSSIDS associated with the Multiple BSSID Set.

25. A wireless communication device for use in a wireless local area network (WLAN) apparatus, comprising:

at least one modem;

at least one processor communicatively coupled with the at least one modem; and

at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor in conjunction with the at least one modem, is configured to;

operate multiple basic service sets (BSSs) at the WLAN apparatus, wherein each of the BSSs are identified by BSS identifiers (BSSIDs) and collectively the multiple BSSs form a Multiple BSSID Set, wherein a first BSS is identified as a transmitting BSSID (TxBSSID) of the Multiple BSSID Set and is configured to transmit one or more management frames that include elements for other BSSs of the Multiple BSSID Set, the other BSSs each identified as a non-transmitting BSSID (NonTxBSSID); and

transmit a first discovery report via the first BSS, wherein the first discovery report includes discovery information regarding at least one NonTxBSSID of the Multiple BSSID Set.

30. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the first discovery report is included in a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element of a management frame.

31. The wireless communication device of claim 30, wherein the RNR element is included in a fast initial link setup (FILS) discovery (FD) frame that conforms to a FILS protocol of the WLAN, a Beacon frame, or Probe Response frame.

32. The wireless communication device of claim 30, wherein the RNR element includes a first field to indicate a format of the RNR element, wherein the first field is populated with a first value when the RNR element is formatted with a first format to include information regarding a neighbor AP, and, wherein the first field is populated with a second value when the RNR element is formatted with a second format to include information regarding the Multiple BSSID Set.

36. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the discovery information includes a bitmap index that represents which BSSs of a Multiple BSSID Set are being hosted at the WLAN apparatus, and wherein the bitmap index is usable by a station (STA) to determine a list of BSSIDS associated with the Multiple BSSID Set.

26-29. -29. (canceled)

33-35. -35. (canceled)

37-38. -38. (canceled)

39. A wireless local area network (WLAN) apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication device comprising;

at least one modem;

at least one processor communicatively coupled with the at least one modem; and

at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor in conjunction with the at least one modem, is configured to;

operate multiple basic service sets (BSSs) at the WLAN apparatus, wherein each of the BSSs are identified by BSS identifiers (BSSIDs) and collectively the multiple BSSs form a Multiple BSSID Set, wherein a first BSS is identified as a transmitting BSSID (TxBSSID) of the Multiple BSSID Set and is configured to transmit one or more management frames that include elements for other BSSs of the Multiple BSSID Set, the other BSSs each identified as a non-transmitting BSSID (NonTxBSSID); and

transmit a first discovery report via the first BSS, wherein the first discovery report includes discovery information regarding at least one NonTxBSSID of the Multiple BSSID Set;

at least one transceiver coupled to the at least one modem;

at least one antenna coupled to the at least one transceiver to wirelessly transmit signals output from the at least one transceiver and to wirelessly receive signals for input into the at least one transceiver; and

a housing that encompasses the at least one modem, the at least one processor, the at least one memory, the at least one transceiver and at least a portion of the at least one antenna.

40-53. -53. (canceled)