System and method for basic service set association

• US 10,299,198 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2018
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Calcev, George, Chen, Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): Elallam, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US15/903,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20180192358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for Basic Service Set (BSS) association, comprises receiving, by a station (STA) from an access point (AP), a frame comprising a traffic type indicator, wherein the traffic type indicator indicates a type of STA that is allowed to associate with the AP and the frame is a beacon frame or a probe response frame; and associating the STA with the AP upon determining that a device type of the STA is indicated by the traffic type indicator.

Claims

1. A method for communications, comprising:

receiving, by a station (STA) from an access point (AP), a frame comprising a field, wherein the field indicates a type of STA that is allowed to associate with the AP; and

associating, by the STA, with the AP upon determining that a device type of the STA is indicated by the field.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the field indicates one of that only sensor type STA is allowed to associate with the AP, only offloading type STA is allowed to associate with the AP, or both sensor type STA and offloading type STA are allowed to associate with the AP.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a probe response frame or a beacon frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating comprises:

sending, by the STA, an association request to the AP, wherein the association request comprises information of a traffic type of the STA.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the STA from the AP, a frame to change the type of STA that supported by the AP.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

disassociating, by the STA, from the AP in response to that the device type of the STA is not supported by the AP.

7. A method for communications, comprising:

transmitting, by an access point (AP) to a station (STA), a frame comprising a field, wherein the field indicates a type of STA that is allowed to associate with the AP; and

associating, by the AP, with the STA upon determining that a device type of the STA is indicated by the field.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the field indicates one of that only sensor type STA is allowed to associate with the AP, only offloading type STA is allowed to associate with the AP, or both sensor type STA and offloading type STA are allowed to associate with the AP.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the frame comprises a probe response frame or a beacon frame.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the associating comprises:

receiving, by the AP, an association request from the STA, wherein the association request comprises information of a traffic type of the STA.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending, by the AP, a frame to the STA to indicate a change of the type of STA that supported by the AP.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the AP, a disassociation frame from the STA; and

disassociating, by the AP, from the STA.

13. A station (STA) comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to;

receive a frame comprising a field from an access point (AP), wherein the field indicates a type of STA that is allowed to associate with the AP; and

associate with the AP upon determining that a device type of the STA is indicated by the field.

14. The STA of claim 13, wherein the field indicates one of that only sensor type STA is allowed to associate with the AP, only offloading type STA is allowed to associate with the AP, or both sensor type STA and offloading type STA are allowed to associate with the AP.

15. The STA of claim 13, wherein the frame comprises a probe response frame or a beacon frame.

16. The STA of claim 13, wherein the programming includes instructions to:

send an association request to the AP, wherein the association request comprises information of a traffic type of the STA.

17. The STA of claim 13, wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

receive from the AP a frame to change the type of STA that supported by the AP.

18. The STA of claim 17, wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

disassociate from the AP in response to that the device type of the STA is not supported by the AP.

19. An access point (AP) comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to;

transmit a frame comprising a field to a station (STA), wherein the field indicates a type of STA that is allowed to associate with the AP; and

associate with the STA upon determining that a device type of the STA is indicated by the field.

20. The AP of claim 19, wherein the field indicates one of that only sensor type STA is allowed to associate with the AP, only offloading type STA is allowed to associate with the AP, or both sensor type STA and offloading type STA are allowed to associate with the AP.

21. The AP of claim 19, wherein the frame comprises a probe response frame or a beacon frame.

22. The AP of claim 19, wherein the programming includes instructions to:

Receive an association request from the STA, wherein the association request comprises information of a traffic type of the STA.

23. The AP of claim 19, wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

send a frame to the STA to indicate a change of the type of STA that supported by the AP.

24. The AP of claim 23, wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

receive a disassociation frame from the STA; and

disassociate from the STA.