Wireless Local Area Network Configuration Method and Central Access Point

Abstract

A wireless local area network (WLAN) configuration method and a central access point (AP), where the method includes obtaining, by the central AP, identifiers of a plurality of radio frequency (RF) circuits in a plurality of APs, recording a mapping from the identifiers to the plurality of APs, sending the identifiers to a WLAN controller, receiving respective configurations of the plurality of RF circuits from the WLAN controller, wherein each configuration in the respective configurations of the plurality of RF circuits comprises an identifier of a corresponding RF circuit, and separately sending each configuration in the respective configurations of the plurality of RF circuits to the plurality of APs according to the mapping from the identifiers to the plurality of APs.

1 . A wireless local area network (WLAN) configuration method implemented by a central access point (AP), wherein the WLAN configuration method comprises:
 obtaining identifiers of a plurality of radio frequency (RF) circuits, wherein the identifiers separately identify RF circuits in a plurality of APs, and wherein each AP in the plurality of APs comprises at least one RF circuit;   recording a mapping of the identifiers to the plurality of APs;   sending the identifiers to a WLAN controller;   receiving respective configurations of the plurality of RF circuits from the WLAN controller, wherein each configuration in the respective configurations comprises an identifier of a corresponding RF circuit; and   separately sending each configuration in the respective configurations to the plurality of APs according to the mapping.   
     
     
         2 . A wireless local area network (WLAN) configuration method implemented by a central access point (AP), wherein the WLAN configuration method comprises:
 obtaining identifiers of a plurality of radio frequency (RF) circuits and respective operating frequency bands of the plurality of RF circuits, wherein the identifiers separately identify RF circuits in a plurality of APs, and wherein each AP in the plurality of APs comprises at least one RF circuit;   generating a virtual identifier for RF circuits having a same operating frequency band;   recording a first mapping of the identifiers to the plurality of APs;   recording a second mapping of the identifiers to at least one virtual identifier, wherein each virtual identifier in the at least one virtual identifier corresponds to RF circuits having a same operating frequency band in the plurality of RF circuits, and where RF circuits corresponding to different virtual identifiers have different operating frequency bands;   sending the at least one virtual identifier to a WLAN controller;   receiving, from the WLAN controller, at least one configuration corresponding to the at least one virtual identifier, wherein each configuration in the at least one configuration comprises a corresponding virtual identifier; and   separately sending respective configurations of the plurality of RF circuits to the plurality of APs according to the first mapping and the second mapping,   wherein the RF circuits having a same operating frequency band in the plurality of RF circuits have a same configuration.   
     
     
         3 . A central access point (AP) comprising:
 a communications interface; and   a processor coupled to the communications interface and configured to:
 obtain identifiers of a plurality of radio frequency (RF) circuits, wherein the identifiers separately identify RF circuits in a plurality of APs, and wherein each AP in the plurality of APs comprises at least one RF circuit; 
   record a mapping of the identifiers to the plurality of APs;   send, using the communications interface, the identifiers to a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller;   receive, using the communications interface, respective configurations of the plurality of RF circuits from the WLAN controller, wherein each configuration in the respective configurations comprises an identifier of a corresponding RF circuit; and   separately send, using the communications interface, each configuration in the respective configurations to the plurality of APs according to the mapping.   
     
     
         4 . A central access point (AP), comprising:
 a communications interface; and   a processor coupled to the communications interface and configured to:
 obtain identifiers of a plurality of radio frequency (RF) circuits and respective operating frequency bands of the plurality of RF circuits, wherein the identifiers separately identify RF circuits in a plurality of APs, and wherein each AP in the plurality of APs comprises at least one RF circuit; 
 generate a virtual identifier for RF circuits having a same operating frequency band, 
 record a first mapping of the identifiers to the plurality of APs; 
 record a second mapping of the identifiers to at least one virtual identifier, wherein each virtual identifier in the at least one virtual identifier corresponds to RF circuits having a same operating frequency band in the plurality of RF circuits, and wherein RF circuits corresponding to different virtual identifiers have different operating frequency bands; 
 send, using the communications interface, the at least one virtual identifier to a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller; 
 receive, using the communications interface, at least one configuration corresponding to the at least one virtual identifier from the WLAN controller, wherein each configuration in the at least one configuration comprises a corresponding virtual identifier; and 
 separately send, using the communications interface, respective configurations of the plurality of RF circuits to the plurality of APs according to the first mapping and the second mapping, wherein the RF circuits having the same operating frequency band in the plurality of RF circuits have a same configuration. 
   
     
     
         5 . The WLAN configuration method of  claim 1 , wherein the central AP comprises a wired connection to each of the plurality of APs. 
     
     
         6 . The WLAN configuration method of  claim 5 , further comprising executing non-real-time MAC functions for the plurality of APs. 
     
     
         7 . The WLAN configuration method of  claim 1 , wherein the RF circuits comprise frequency bands of one or more of 2.4 gigahertz (GHz), 5 GHZ, 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, or 60 GHz. 
     
     
         8 . The WLAN configuration method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the identifiers comprises, for each identifier, combining a local area identifier of an RF circuit of the plurality of RF circuits with an identifier of an AP of the plurality of APs in which the RF circuit is located. 
     
     
         9 . The WLAN configuration method of  claim 2 , wherein the central AP comprises a wired connection to each of the plurality of APs. 
     
     
         10 . The WLAN configuration method of  claim 9 , further comprising executing non-real-time MAC functions for the plurality of APs. 
     
     
         11 . The WLAN configuration method of  claim 2 , wherein the respective operating frequency bands comprise one or more of 2.4 gigahertz (GHz), 5 GHZ, 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, or 60 GHz. 
     
     
         12 . The WLAN configuration method of  claim 2 , wherein obtaining the identifiers comprises, for each identifier, combining a local area identifier of an RF circuit of the plurality of RF circuits with an identifier of an AP of the plurality of APs in which the RF circuit is located. 
     
     
         13 . The central AP of  claim 3 , further comprising a wired connection to each of the plurality of APs. 
     
     
         14 . The central AP of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute non-real-time MAC functions for the plurality of APs. 
     
     
         15 . The central AP of  claim 3 , wherein the RF circuits comprise frequency bands of one or more of 2.4 gigahertz (GHz), 5 GHZ, 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, or 60 GHz. 
     
     
         16 . The central AP of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to, for each identifier, combine a local area identifier of an RF circuit of the plurality of RF circuits with an identifier of an AP of the plurality of APs in which the RF circuit is located. 
     
     
         17 . The central AP of  claim 4 , further comprising a wired connection to each of the plurality of APs. 
     
     
         18 . The central AP of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute non-real-time MAC functions for the plurality of APs. 
     
     
         19 . The central AP of  claim 4 , wherein the respective operating frequency bands comprise one or more of 2.4 gigahertz (GHz), 5 GHZ, 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, or 60 GHz. 
     
     
         20 . The central AP of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to, for each identifier, combine a local area identifier of an RF circuit of the plurality of RF circuits with an identifier of an AP of the plurality of APs in which the RF circuit is located.