Addressing scheme for wireless mobile clients

• US 20030051052A1
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Chiu, Thomas, Shteyn, Yevgeniy Eugene
• Application Number:
  US09/952,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051052A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless client is enabled to communicate with a data network via an access point. The access point assigns an address to the client, based on the network address of the access point itself and a unique identifier (e.g., MAC) of the client. The unique identifier is used to generate a port number that gets assigned to the client, e.g., for a certain duration. In this manner, an interruption in the wireless communication avoids assigning a new port number to the same client, which would lead to address collisions.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a wireless client to communicate via a data network through an access point, the method comprising:

determining a unique characteristic representative of the client; and

based on the unique characteristic generating an address for use by the access point on behalf of the client for communication on the data network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the generating comprises determining a port number based on the characteristic; and

the address involves a network address of the access point and the port number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is based on a unique hardware address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is based on a software signature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point generates the address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generation of the address is delegated to a server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the address for the client expires if a predetermined condition is met.