Method and apparatus for affiliating a wireless device with a wireless local area network

• US 20040125777A1
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Doyle, Jr., James Ward Girardeau, William Yuen
• Original Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Doyle, James, Girardeau, James Ward Jr., Yuen, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for affiliating a wireless device with a wireless local area network (WLAN). An embodiment of the method of this invention comprises establishing, at a control node of the WLAN, access frequency(s) for affiliation with the WLAN. The control node periodically provides a beacon frame on the access frequency(s) that indicates the timing of affiliation with the WLAN. The wireless device determines the access frequency(s) for affiliating with the WLAN and the timing of affiliation with the WLAN based on the beacon frame. The wireless device provides self identification information via the access frequency during the beacon frame. This allows the control node to determine the access privileges of the wireless device based on the identification information. Finally, the control node affiliates the wireless device with an initial access channel from a set of access channels in accordance with the access privileges.

Claims

1. A method for affiliating a wireless device with a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method comprises:

establishing, by a control node of the WLAN, at least one access frequency for affiliation with the WLAN;

periodically providing, by the control node, a beacon frame on the at least one access frequency, wherein the beacon indicates timing of affiliation with the WLAN;

determining, by the wireless device, the at least one access frequency for affiliating with the WLAN;

determining, by the wireless device, the timing of affiliation with the WLAN based on the beacon frame;

providing, by the wireless device, identification information of the wireless device via the at least one access frequency during the beacon frame;

determining, by the control node, access privileges of the wireless device based on the identification information; and

affiliating, by the control node, the wireless device with an initial access channel from a set of access channels in accordance with the access privileges.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising ignoring the identification information if received on a frequency other than the at least one access frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing, by the control node, at least one non-access frequency, wherein the at least one non-access frequency is identified by the absence of the beacon frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein affiliating the wireless device with the initial access channel comprises, selecting the initial access channel for affiliation with the wireless device based on at least one of:

an existing load on the set of access channels, correlating a service request from the wireless device with a service request for the initial access channel, the wireless device identification information, and a wireless device group identification.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the control node, a transfer acknowledgement signal to the wireless device in response to receiving the identification information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the control node, a change channel affiliation signal to the wireless device to transfer the wireless device to a second access channel, from the set of access channels, different from the initial access channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining access privileges of the wireless device comprises denying access to the wireless device on the at least one access frequency, by not providing a transfer acknowledgement signal in response to receiving the identification information, to cause the wireless device to provide the identification information on another of the at least one access frequencies.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing, by the control node, a unique frequency of the at least one access frequencies, to function as the at least one access frequency for affiliation with the WLAN.

9. An apparatus for affiliating a wireless device with a wireless local area network (WLAN), the apparatus comprises:

a processing module; and

a memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory includes operational instructions that cause the processing module to;

establish, at a control node of the WLAN, at least one access frequency for affiliation with the WLAN;

periodically provide, at the control node, a beacon frame on the at least one access frequency, wherein the beacon indicates timing of affiliation with the WLAN;

determine, at the wireless device, the at least one access frequency for affiliating with the WLAN;

determine, at the wireless device, the timing of affiliation with the WLAN based on the beacon frame;

provide, at the wireless device, identification information of the wireless device via the at least one access frequency during the beacon frame;

determine, at the control node, access privileges of the wireless device based on the identification information; and

affiliate, at the control node, the wireless device with an initial access channel from a set of access channels in accordance with the access privileges.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to ignore the identification information if received on a frequency other than the at least one access frequency.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to establish, at the control node, at least one non-access frequency, wherein the at least one non-access frequency is identified by the absence of the beacon frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to affiliate the wireless device with the initial access channel by selecting the initial access channel for affiliation with the wireless device based on at least one of:

an existing load on the set of access channels, correlating a service request from the wireless device with a service request for the initial access channel, the wireless device identification information, and a wireless device group identification.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to provide, at the control node, a transfer acknowledgement signal to the wireless device in response to receiving the identification information.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to provide, at the control node, a change channel affiliation signal to the wireless device to transfer the wireless device to a second access channel, from the set of access channels, different from the initial access channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to determine access privileges of the wireless device by denying access to the wireless device on the at least one access frequency, by not providing a transfer acknowledgement signal in response to receiving the identification information, to cause the wireless device to provide the identification information on another of the at least one access frequencies.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to establish, at the control node, a unique frequency of the at least one access frequencies, to function as the at least one access frequency for affiliation with the WLAN.