Method and apparatus for joining centralized cluster

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for joining a centralized cluster is disclosed. The method includes: receiving a DMG Beacon frame sent by a first S-AP, where the DMG Beacon frame includes cluster information of the first S-AP; measuring, according to the cluster information of the first S-AP, signal quality and a state of each Beacon SP included in a BI of the first S-AP; if a Beacon SP whose state is an idle state is obtained by means of measurement, associating the Beacon SP with the first S-AP as a non-PCP/non-AP station, and receiving an Announce frame sent by the first S-AP; selecting one S-AP from the first S-AP and the second S-AP as a to-be-joined S-AP; and joining a centralized cluster of the to-be-joined S-AP.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for joining a centralized cluster, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the personal basic service set control point/access point (PCP/AP) a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) beacon frame sent by a first synchronization access point (S-AP), wherein the DMG beacon frame comprises an identity of a channel on which the first S-AP is located and cluster information of the first S-AP comprising a beacon interval (BI) duration, cluster synchronization information, and clustering control information of the first S-AP;   determining, by the PCP/AP, according to the cluster information of the first S-AP, a timing start moment of each beacon service period (SP) comprised in the BI of the first S-AP;   performing, by the PCP/AP, on the channel corresponding to the identity of the channel on which the first S-AP is located and according to the timing start moment of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, measurement on each beacon SP to obtain a measured state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP;   when the measured state of a first beacon SP is an idle state, associating the PCP/AP with the first S-AP as a non-PCP/AP station, and receiving, by the PCP/AP, an announce frame sent by the first S-AP, wherein the announce frame comprises an available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP configured to store the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP;   performing, by the PCP/AP, an intersection operation on each beacon SP having a measured state that is an idle state and each beacon SP whose state stored in the available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP is an idle state to generate a result;   selecting from the result, by the PCP/AP, one beacon SP having a measured idle state d whose state stored in the available cluster offset bitmap is an idle state as one beacon SP corresponding to the PCP/AP; and   joining, by the PCP/AP, a centralized cluster of the first S-AP.   
     
     
         2 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) beacon frame sent by a first synchronization access point (S-AP), wherein the DMG beacon frame comprises an identity of a channel on which the first S-AP is located and cluster information of the first S-AP comprising a beacon interval (BI) duration, cluster synchronization information and clustering control information;   determining, according to the cluster information of the first S-AP, a timing start moment of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP; and   performing, on the channel corresponding to the identity of the channel on which the first S-AP is located and according to the timing start moment of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, measurement on each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP to obtain a signal quality and a state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 measuring a state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP;   when the measured state of a first beacon SP is an idle state, associating the PCP/AP with the first S-AP as a non-PCP/AP station, and receiving an announce frame sent by the first S-AP, wherein the announce frame comprises cluster information of a second S-AP and an available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP configured to store the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI of the first S-AP, the second S-AP is another S-AP, except the first S-AP, on each channel in a channel group in which the first S-AP is located;   selecting an S-AP from the first S-AP and the second S-AP as a to-be-joined S-AP according to the available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP, the signal quality and the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, and the cluster information of the second S-AP; and   joining a centralized cluster of the to-be-joined S-AP.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein selecting an S-AP from the first S-AP and the second S-AP as a to-be-joined S-AP according to the available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP, the signal quality and the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, and the cluster information of the second S-AP comprises:
 when a ratio of a quantity of beacon SPs whose signal quality exceeds a preset threshold to a quantity of beacon SPs whose state is an occupied state is greater than a preset ratio, determining, according to the available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP and the signal quality and the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, whether to join a centralized cluster of the first S-AP; and   when it is determined to join the centralized cluster of the first S-AP, determining the first S-AP as the to-be-joined S-AP.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 when it is determined not to join the centralized cluster of the first S-AP, measuring, according to the cluster information of the second S-AP, signal quality and a state of each beacon SP comprised in a BI duration of the second. S-AP;   calculating a ratio of a quantity of beacon SPs comprised in the BI duration of the second S-AP and whose signal quality exceeds the preset threshold to a quantity of beacon SPs comprised in the BI duration of the second S-AP and whose state is an occupied state; and   selecting a second S-AP with a highest ratio, and determining the second S-AP with t highest ratio as the to-be-joined S-AP.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the channel group comprises one first channel and two second channels, wherein a bandwidth resource occupied by the first channel is the same as that occupied by the two second channels, and the first channel overlaps the two second channels in frequency; and   when a PCP/AP is a PCP/AP located on the second channel, after joining a centralized cluster of the to-be-joined S-AP, the method further comprises:
 receiving cluster information, sent by the to-be-joined S-AP, of a new S-AP newly joining the first channel, measuring, according to the cluster information of the new S-AP, signal quality and a state of each beacon SP comprised in a BI duration of the new S-AP, and determining, according to the signal quality and the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the new S-AP, whether to join a centralized cluster of the new S-AP, 
   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the cluster information of the second S-AP comprises a BI duration, cluster synchronization information, and clustering control information of the second S-AP, and an identity of a channel on which the second S-AP is located;   the announce frame comprises an extended cluster report information element (U of the second S-AP comprising a reported BI duration field, a next beacon transmission interval (BTI) offset field, a clustering control report field, and a cluster channel number field, wherein the reported BI duration field is configured to carry the BI duration of the second S-AP, the next BTI offset field is configured to carry the cluster synchronization information of the second S-AP, the clustering control report field is configured to carry the clustering control information of the second S-AP, and the cluster channel number field is configured to carry the identity of the channel on which the second. S-AP is located.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the announce frame further comprises the available cluster offset bitmap of the second S-AP; and   the extended cluster report IE further comprises an available cluster offset bitmap field configured to carry the available cluster offset bitmap of the second S-AP.   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for joining a centralized cluster, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 receive a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) beacon frame sent by a first synchronization access point (S-AP), wherein the I)MG Beacon frame comprises an identity of a channel on which the first S-AP is located and cluster information of the first S-AP comprising a beacon interval (BI) duration, cluster synchronization information, and clustering control information of the first S-AP, 
 determine, according to the cluster information of the first S-AP, a timing start moment of each beacon service period (SP) comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, 
 perform on the channel corresponding to the identity of the channel on which the first S-AP is located and according to the timing start moment of each beacon SP comprised in the duration of the first S-AP, measurement on each beacon SP to obtain a measured state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, 
 when the measured state of a first beacon SP is an idle state, associate the PCP/AP with the first S-AP as a non-PCP/AP station, and receive an announce frame sent by the first S-AP, wherein the announce frame comprises an available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP configured to store the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, 
 perform an intersection operation on each beacon SP having a measured state that is an idle state and each beacon SP whose state stored in the available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP is an idle state to generate a result, 
 select from the result one beacon SP having a measured idle state and whose state stored in the available cluster offset bitmap is an idle state as one beacon SP corresponding to the PCP/AP, and 
 join a centralized cluster of the first S-AP. 
   
     
     
         10 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 receive a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) beacon frame sent by a first synchronization access point (S-AP), wherein the DMG beacon frame comprises an identity of a channel on which the first S-AP is located and cluster information of the first S-AP comprising a beacon interval (BI) duration, cluster synchronization information and clustering control information, 
 measure, according to the cluster information of the first S-AP, signal quality and a state of each beacon scheduled service period (SP) comprised in a beacon interval (BI) duration of the first S-AP, 
 determine, according to the cluster information of the first S-AP, a timing start moment of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, and 
 perform, on the channel corresponding to the identity of the channel on which the first S-AP is located and according to the timing start moment of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, measurement on each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP to obtain the signal quality and the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the memory comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 when a measured state of a first beacon SP is an idle state, associate the PCP/AP with the first S-AP as a non-PCP/AP station, and receive an announce frame sent b r the first S-AP, wherein the announce frame comprises cluster information of a second S-AP and an available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP configured to store the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, the second S-AP is another S-AP, except the first S-AP, on each channel in a channel group in which the first S-AP is located;   select an S-AP from the first S-AP and the second S-AP as a to-be-joined S-AP according to the available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP, the measured signal quality and the measured state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, and the cluster information of the second S-AP; and   join a centralized cluster of the to-be-joined S-AP.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein to select an S-AP from the first S-AP and the second S-AP as a to-be-joined S-AP according to the available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP, the measured signal quality and the measured state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, and the cluster information of the second S-AP the memory comprises instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:
 when a ratio of a quantity of beacon SPs whose signal quality exceeds a preset threshold to a quantity of beacon SPs whose state is an occupied state is greater than a preset ratio, determine, according to the available cluster offset bitmap of the first S-AP and the signal quality and the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the first S-AP, whether to join a centralized cluster of the first S-AP; and   when it is determined to join the centralized cluster of the first S-AP, determine the first S-AP as the to-be-joined S-AP.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the memory comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 when it is determined not to join the centralized cluster of the first S-AP, measure, according to the cluster information of the second S-AP, signal quality and a state of each beacon SP comprised in a BI duration of the second S-AP;   calculate a ratio of a quantity of beacon SPs that are comprised in the BI duration of the second S-AP and whose signal quality measured exceeds the preset threshold to a quantity of beacon SPs comprised in the BI duration of the second S-AP and whose state is an occupied state; and   select a second S-AP with a highest ratio, and determine the second S-AP with the highest ratio as the to-be-joined S-AP.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the channel group comprises one first channel and two second channels, wherein a bandwidth resource occupied by the first channel is the same as that occupied by the two second channels, and the first channel overlaps the two second channels in frequency; and   the memory comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 when the apparatus is a PCP/AP located on the second channel, receive cluster information, sent by the to-be-joined S-AP, of a new S-AP newly joining the first channel, measure, according to the cluster information of the new S-AP signal quality and a state of each beacon SP comprised in a BI duration of the new S-AP, and determine, according to the signal quality and the state of each beacon SP comprised in the BI duration of the new S-AP, whether to join a centralized cluster of the new S-AP, 
   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the cluster information of the second S-AP comprises a RI duration, cluster synchronization information, and clustering control information of the second S-AP, and an identity of a channel on which the second S-AP is located; and   the announce frame comprises an extended cluster report information element (IE) of the second S-AP comprising a reported BI duration field, a next beacon transmission interval (BTI) offset field, a clustering control report field, and a cluster channel number field, wherein the reported BI duration field is configured to carry the BI duration of the second S-AP, the next BTI offset field is configured to carry the cluster synchronization information of the second. S-AP, the clustering control report field is configured to carry the clustering control information of the second S-AP, and the cluster channel number field is configured to carry the identity of the channel on which the second S-AP is located.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 the announce frame further comprises the available cluster offset bitmap of the second S-AP; and   the extended cluster report IF further comprises an available cluster offset bitmap field configured to carry the available cluster offset bitmap of the second S-AP.