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US-20260129535-A1 - CO-LOCATED, CO-CHANNEL BASIC SERVICE SET IDENTIFIER (BSSID) SIGNALING AND BEHAVIOR

US20260129535A1US 20260129535 A1US20260129535 A1US 20260129535A1US-20260129535-A1

Abstract

Combining MBSSID sets, co-hosted BSSID sets, and standalone VAPs into a co-located, co-channel BSSID set to allow for more efficient communication between different members of the co-located, co-channel BSSID set. By combining the members into the co-located, co-channel BSSID set, when a TXOP holder provides transmission time to a co-located, co-channel BSSID set, each of the VAPs in the co-located, co-channel BSSID set receives access to exchange data for a duration of time. When the co-located, co-channel BSSID set indicates to the TXOP holder that the VAPs finished exchanging data, each of the VAPs in the co-located, co-channel BSSID set loses access to send data.

Inventors

  • Brian D. Hart
  • Malcolm M. Smith
  • Binita Gupta

Assignees

  • CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20250726

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An access point (AP) comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, wherein the one or more processors are configured to, individually or collectively, perform operations comprising: implementing a first virtual AP (VAP) in a first basic service set identifier (BSSID) set and a second VAP in a second BSSID set, wherein the first BSSID set is different from the second BSSID set; receiving, on the first VAP, a request frame from the second VAP; transmitting, from the first VAP, a response frame to the second VAP; and receiving, on the first VAP, a handover frame from the second VAP indicating that the second VAP accepts the request frame, wherein the response frame indicates that the first VAP and a third VAP that is in the first BSSID set have access to exchange data.
  2. 2 . The AP of claim 1 , wherein the response frame from the first VAP comprises a first identifier that indicates each VAP in the first BSSID set, and wherein the handover frame from the second VAP comprises a second identifier that indicates each VAP in the second BSSID set.
  3. 3 . The AP of claim 2 , further comprising transmitting the first identifier to a station when the station associates with either the first VAP or the third VAP.
  4. 4 . The AP of claim 1 , further comprising: determining, by the first VAP, that the first VAP and the third VAP are in the first BSSID set; and removing control frames from communication between the first VAP and the third VAP.
  5. 5 . The AP of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting, to a station, a signal with a first field indicating that the first VAP is part of the first BSSID set, wherein the station is connected to the first VAP, and wherein the signal comprises a second field indicating a number of BSSIDs in the first BSSID set.
  6. 6 . The AP of claim 1 , wherein the first VAP and the third VAP use a first BSS color, and wherein the second VAP uses a second BSS color that is different from the first BSS color.
  7. 7 . The AP of claim 1 , further comprising: assigning an identifier to each station in the first BSSID set, wherein each of the identifiers are greater than a minimum value, wherein the minimum value is a number of association IDs allocated for advertising group traffic, wherein each of the identifiers comprises less bits than each BSSID identifier for a plurality of VAPs in the first BSSID set.
  8. 8 . The AP of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting, to a station connected to the first VAP, a report comprising an indicator that the first VAP and the third VAP are in the first BSSID set.
  9. 9 . A method comprising: receiving, at a first virtual access point (VAP) in a first basic service set identifier (BSSID) set, a request frame from a second VAP in a second BSSID set that is different from the first BSSID set; transmitting a response frame from the first VAP to the second VAP; and receiving, at the first VAP, a handover frame from the second VAP indicating that the second VAP accepts the request frame, wherein the response frame indicates that the first VAP and a third VAP that is in the first BSSID set have access to exchange data.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the response frame from the first VAP comprises a first identifier that represents each VAP in the first BSSID set, wherein the response frame from the second VAP comprises a second identifier that represents each VAP in the second BSSID set, and further comprises transmitting the first identifier to a station when the station connects to either an VAP in the first BSSID set.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising: transmitting, to a station, a signal with a first field indicating that the first VAP is part of the first BSSID set, wherein the station is connected to the first VAP, and wherein the signal comprises a second field indicating a number of BSSIDs in the first BSSID set.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first VAP and the third VAP use a first BSS color, and wherein the second VAP uses a second BSS color that is different from the first BSS color.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising: transmitting, to a station connected to the first VAP, a report comprising an indicator that the first VAP and the third VAP are in the first BSSID set.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising: determining the first VAP and the third VAP are in the first BSSID set; and removing control frames from communication between the first VAP and the third VAP.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising: assigning an identifier to each station in the first BSSID set, wherein each of the identifiers are greater than a minimum value, wherein the minimum value is a number of association IDs allocated for advertising group traffic, wherein each of the identifiers comprises less bits than each BSSID identifier for a plurality of VAPs in the first BSSID set.
  16. 16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of one or more computer processors, performs operations comprising: receiving, at a first virtual access point (VAP) in a first basic service set identifier (BSSID) set, a request frame from a second VAP in a second BSSID set that is different from the first BSSID set; transmitting a response frame from the first VAP to the second VAP; and receiving a handover frame from the second VAP indicating that the second VAP accepts the request frame, wherein the response frame indicates that the first VAP and a third VAP that is in the first BSSID set have access to exchange data.
  17. 17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , the operations further comprising: transmitting a signal to a station with a first field indicating the first VAP is part of the first BSSID set, wherein the station is connected to the first VAP, and wherein the signal comprises a second field indicating a number of BSSIDs in the first BSSID set.
  18. 18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first VAP and the third VAP use a first BSS color, and wherein the second VAP uses a second BSS color that is different from the first BSS color.
  19. 19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , the operations further comprising: transmitting, to a station connected to the first VAP, a report comprising an indicator that the first VAP and the third VAP are in the first BSSID set.
  20. 20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , the operations further comprising: determining, by the first VAP, that the first VAP and the third VAP are in the first BSSID set; and removing control frames from communication between the first VAP and the third VAP.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. provisional patent applications Ser. No. 63/717,765 filed Nov. 7, 2024, Ser. No. 63/744,042 filed Jan. 10, 2025, and Ser. No. 63/775,857 filed Mar. 21, 2025. The aforementioned related patent applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments presented in this disclosure generally relate to connecting virtual access points (VAPs). More specifically, embodiments disclosed herein associate multiple BSSIDs sets of VAPs together into a co-located, co-channel BSSID set. BACKGROUND Stations (STAs) may associate with and/or setup links different Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs) on a physical access point (AP) device with one or more physical AP radios, where each AP radio implements multiple virtual APs (VAPs) that may be part of virtual Basic Service Sets (BSSs). Each of the BSSs may be either a Multiple BSSID (MBSSID) set or a co-hosted BSSID set, each including at least one VAP. A BSS might also be a standalone BSS. Because the STAs use different SSIDs, when exchanging data with different STAs on the physical AP radio through the VAPs, the physical AP radio would make or receive separate transmissions, or portions of transmissions, for each STA associated with the physical AP radio. The VAPs may send separate requests to a transmit opportunity (TXOP) holder for transmission time for the VAPs to exchange data with an associated STA. It may be inefficient, however, for the VAPs to send separate requests to the TXOP holder for transmission time to exchange data with each of the STAs, which reduces network performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS So that the manner in which the above-recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate typical embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting; other equally effective embodiments are contemplated. FIG. 1 depicts a diagram of a first VAP from one BSSID set communicating with a second VAP in a different BSSID set, according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 depicts a diagram of messages between a VAP from one BSSID set with two VAPs in a different BSSID set, according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart of a VAP from one BSSID set communicating with a second VAP in a different BSSID set, according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 depicts a diagram of different co-located, co-channel BSSID setups, according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 depicts an example network device configured to perform various aspects of the present disclosure, according to one embodiment. To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially used in other embodiments without specific recitation. DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS Overview One embodiment presented in this disclosure is an AP that includes one or more memories; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, which are configured to, individually or collectively, perform operations. The operations include implementing a first VAP in a first BSSID set and a second VAP in a second BSSID set, with the first BSSID set being different from the second BSSID set. The operations further include receiving, one the first VAP, a request frame from the second VAP. The operations further include transmitting, from the first VAP, a response frame to the second VAP and receiving, on the first VAP, a handover frame from the second VAP indicating that the second VAP accepts the request frame, which indicates that the first VAP and a third VAP that is in the first BSSID set have access to exchange data. The embodiments may include a method and a non-transitory computer-readable medium. EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS The present disclosure describes improving efficiency of communications between STAs and VAPs using a co-located, co-channel BSSID set in addition to communications between VAPs located in different co-located, co-channel BSSID sets. When a STA (such as a phone, computer, etc.) connects to a network, the STA is associated with a physical AP radio (or multiple thereof in the case of Multi-Link Devices, MLDs) that is part of a network such that the STA may access the network. The physical AP radio may implement multiple VAPs that are located on the same physical AP radio (co-located, co-channel). Instead of the physical AP radio advertising one network, the VAPs allow for the physical AP to broadcast multiple networks (SSIDs). Each VAP may advertise a different BSSID when the STA is searching for a network to join. The VAPs may be grouped into BS