Wireless network service transaction protocol

• US 10,142,921 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: McCann, Stephen, Montemurro, Michael Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Faroul, Farah
• Application Number:
  US15/483,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20170215129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A mobile device may retrieve service information about a network prior to associating with the network. Utilizing an advertisement protocol to transmit service query messages, a mobile device may receive service query responses from a network that identify the services available prior to establishing network capability. In other words, the messaging is prior to the exchange of any authentication parameters between the device and the network as well prior to the establishment of a recognized session between the device and the network.

Claims

1. A method for an access point of a wireless local area network (“

WLAN”

), the method comprising;

receiving from a wireless communication device, a service information request comprising service information, wherein the service information request is part of an advertisement protocol, and the service information identifies a requested service using a string; and

transmitting, prior to an association between the wireless communication device and the WLAN, a service information response;

wherein the service information response notifies the wireless communication device if a service matching the requested service is not found.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service information response is determined by a proxy server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the proxy server is coupled to the access point and the access point exchanges information between the WLAN and the wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the proxy server is separate from the access point and the access point exchanges information between the WLAN and the wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service information request and the service information response are Access network Query Protocol (ANQP) elements, and the advertisement protocol is ANQP.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service information request includes an ID field of 2-octets in size and a length field of 2-octets in size.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the service information response includes an ID field of 2-octets in size and a length field of 2-octets in size.

8. A method for a wireless communications device, the method comprising:

transmitting from a wireless communication device, a service information request comprising service information, wherein the service information request is part of an advertisement protocol, and the service information identifies a requested service using a string; and

receiving, prior to an association between the wireless communication device and a Wireless Local Area Network (“

WLAN”

), a service information response;

wherein the service information response notifies the wireless communication device if a service matching the requested service is not found.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the service information response is determined by a proxy server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the proxy server is coupled to an access point and the access point exchanges information between the WLAN and the wireless communication device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the proxy server is separate from an access point and the access point exchanges information between the WLAN and the wireless communication device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the service information request and the service information response are Access network Query Protocol (ANQP) elements, and the advertisement protocol is ANQP.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the service information request includes an ID field of 2-octets in size and a length field of 2-octets in size.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the service information response includes an ID field of 2-octets in size and a length field of 2-octets in size.

15. An access point of a wireless local area network (“

WLAN”

), the access point comprising;

at least one receiver configured to receive from a wireless communication device, a service information request comprising service information, wherein the service information request is part of an advertisement protocol, and the service information identifies a requested service using a string; and

at least one transmitter configured to transmit, prior to an association between the wireless communication device and the WLAN, a service information response,

wherein the service information response notifies the wireless communication device if a service matching the requested service is not found.

16. The access point of claim 15, wherein the service information response is determined by a proxy server.

17. The access point of claim 16, wherein the proxy server is coupled to the access point and the access point exchanges information between the WLAN and the wireless communication device.

18. The access point of claim 16, wherein the proxy server is separate from the access point and the access point exchanges information between the WLAN and the wireless communication device.

19. The access point of claim 15, wherein the service information request and the service information response are Access network Query Protocol (ANQP) elements, and the advertisement protocol is ANQP.

20. The access point of claim 15, wherein the service information request includes an ID field of 2-octets in size and a length field of 2-octets in size.

21. The access point of claim 15, wherein the service information response includes an ID field of 2-octets in size and a length field of 2-octets in size.

22. A wireless communications device, the wireless communications device comprising:

at least one transmitter configured to transmit from a wireless communication device, a service information request comprising service information, wherein the service information request is part of an advertisement protocol, and the service information identifies a requested service using a string; and

at least one receiver configured to receive, prior to an association between the wireless communication device and a Wireless Local Area Network (“

WLAN”

), a service information response;

wherein the service information response notifies the wireless communication device if a service matching the requested service is not found.

23. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the service information response is determined by a proxy server.

24. The wireless communications device of claim 23, wherein the proxy server is coupled to an access point and the access point exchanges information between the WLAN and the wireless communication device.

25. The wireless communications device of claim 23, wherein the proxy server is separate from an access point and the access point exchanges information between the WLAN and the wireless communication device.

26. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the service information request and the service information response are Access network Query Protocol (ANQP) elements, and the advertisement protocol is ANQP.

27. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the service information request includes an ID field of 2-octets in size and a length field of 2-octets in size.

28. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the service information response includes an ID field of 2-octets in size and a length field of 2-octets in size.