Roaming candidate selection with overlapping basic service set (OBSS) detection
This disclosure provides methods, devices and systems for wireless roaming. Some implementations more specifically relate to roaming candidate selection based on overlapping basic service set (OBSS) detection. In some aspects, a wireless station (STA) may identify one or more OBSSs based on wireless communications detected during an OBSS detection period and may roam to a new access point (AP) based on the identified OBSSs when a roaming condition is satisfied. In some implementations, the STA may store information associated with each identified OBSS in an OBSS table. When the roaming condition is satisfied, the STA may listen for beacon or probe response frames from other APs operating on its current wireless channel. If the STA receives beacon or probe response frames from one or more APs that match the OBSS table, the STA may roam to the matching AP with the highest candidate score.
1. A method for wireless communication by a wireless communication device, comprising:
detecting, on a current wireless channel of the wireless communication device, wireless communications associated with one or more overlapping basic service sets (OBSSs) during an OBSS detection period;
performing a signal quality measurement operation that indicates a quality of wireless communications with an associated access point (AP) on the current wireless channel, the signal quality measurement operation indicating, at a first time after the OBSS detection period, that the quality of wireless communications with the associated AP is below a threshold signal quality; and
selectively roaming, at the first time after the OBSS detection period, to a new AP that is associated with a first OBSS of the one or more OBSSs, wherein the selective roaming is associated with information indicating one or more characteristics of the wireless communications associated with each OBSS of the one or more OBSSs during the OBSS detection period or one or more supported capabilities associated with each OBSS of the one or more OBSSs during the OBSS detection period.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a set of BSS identifiers (BSSIDs) associated with the one or more OBSSs, each BSSID in the set of BSSIDs being identified in accordance with the detected wireless communications associated with a respective OBSS of the one or more OBSSs.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
storing a respective candidate score associated with each BSSID in the set of BSSIDs, each of the candidate scores indicating a suitability of a respective OBSS of the one or more OBSSs as a roaming candidate for the wireless communication device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications are detected in accordance with one or more BSS color collisions.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selective roaming to the new AP comprises:
receiving, from the new AP, a management frame having an address field that matches a BSSID in the set of BSSIDs; and
roaming to the new AP in accordance with receiving the management frame.
6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
broadcasting, on the current wireless channel, a probe request frame that fails to elicit a probe response frame having an address field that matches a BSSID in the set of BSSIDs; and
listening for management frames on one or more additional wireless channels in accordance with the probe request frame failing to elicit a probe response frame having an address field that matches a BSSID in the set of BSSIDs.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selective roaming to the new AP comprises:
receiving a probe response frame from the new AP responsive to the probe request frame broadcast on the current wireless channel, the new AP being different than the one or more OBSSs; and
roaming to the new AP in accordance with receiving the probe response frame.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selective roaming to the new AP comprises:
receiving a management frame from the new AP on one of the one or more additional wireless channels; and
roaming to the new AP in accordance with receiving the management frame.
9. An apparatus for wireless communications at a wireless station comprising:
a system that includes one or more processors and one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors, the system configured to cause the apparatus to:
detect, on a current wireless channel of the wireless station, wireless communications associated with one or more overlapping basic service sets (OBSSs) during an OBSS detection period;
perform a signal quality measurement operation that indicates a quality of wireless communications with an associated access point (AP) on the current wireless channel, the signal quality measurement operation indicating, at a first time after the OBSS detection period, that the quality of wireless communications with the associated AP is below a threshold signal quality; and
selectively roam, at the first time after the OBSS detection period, to a new AP that is associated with a first OBSS of the one or more OBSSs, wherein the selective roaming is associated with information indicating one or more characteristics of the wireless communications associated with each OBSS of the one or more OBSSs during the OBSS detection period or one or more supported capabilities associated with each OBSS of the one or more OBSSs during the OBSS detection period.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the system is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
store a set of BSS identifiers (BSSIDs) associated with the one or more OBSSs, each BSSID in the set of BSSIDs being identified in accordance with the detected wireless communications associated with a respective OBSS of the one or more OBSSs.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the system is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
store a respective candidate score associated with each BSSID in the set of BSSIDs, each of the candidate scores indicating a suitability of a respective OBSS of the one or more OBSSs as a roaming candidate for the wireless station.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the wireless communications are detected in accordance with one or more BSS color collisions.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the system is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from the new AP, a management frame having an address field that matches a BSSID in the set of BSSIDs; and
roam to the new AP in accordance with reception of the management frame.
14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the system is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
broadcast, on the current wireless channel, a probe request frame that fails to elicit a probe response frame having an address field that matches a BSSID in the set of BSSIDs; and
listen for management frames on one or more additional wireless channels in accordance with the probe request frame failing to elicit a probe response frame having an address field that matches a BSSID in the set of BSSIDs.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the system is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive a probe response frame from the new AP responsive to the probe request frame broadcast on the current wireless channel, the new AP being different than the one or more OBSSs; and
roam to the new AP in accordance with reception of the probe response frame.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the system is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive a management frame from the new AP on one of the one or more additional wireless channels; and
roam to the new AP in accordance with reception of the management frame.
17. An non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a wireless station, the code comprising instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the wireless station to:
detect, on a current wireless channel of the wireless station, wireless communications associated with one or more overlapping basic service sets (OBSSs) during an OBSS detection period;
perform a signal quality measurement operation that indicates a quality of wireless communications with an associated access point (AP) on the current wireless channel, the signal quality measurement operation indicating, at a first time after the OBSS detection period, that the quality of wireless communications with the associated AP is below a threshold signal quality; and
selectively roam, at the first time after the OBSS detection period, to a new AP that is associated with a first OBSS of the one or more OBSSs, wherein the selective roaming is associated with information indicating one or more characteristics of the wireless communications associated with each OBSS of the one or more OBSSs during the OBSS detection period or one or more supported capabilities associated with each OBSS of the one or more OBSSs during the OBSS detection period.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further executable by the one or more processors to cause the wireless station to:
store a set of BSS identifiers (BSSIDs) associated with the one or more OBSSs, each BSSID in the set of BSSIDs being identified in accordance with the detected wireless communications associated with a respective OBSS of the one or more OBSSs.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further executable by the one or more processors to cause the wireless station to:
store a respective candidate score associated with each BSSID in the set of BSSIDs, each of the candidate scores indicating a suitability of a respective OBSS of the one or more OBSSs as a roaming candidate for the wireless station.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the wireless communications are detected in accordance with one or more BSS color collisions.