Method and apparatus to establish communication

• US 20040127204A1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Belmont, Brian V.
• Application Number:
  US10/330,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20040127204A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Briefly, a method to establish a connection to a local area network by configuring a mobile unit (MU) of a wireless network with wireless local area network (WLAN) parameters. The configuration may be performed by using a telecommunication system messaging service to exchange the configuration information between the mobile unit and a public access point (AP) of the WLAN.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

configuring a mobile unit to establish a wireless network connection between the mobile unit and a wireless local area network by using a messaging service to exchange configuration information between the mobile unit and a public access point of the wireless local area network.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending a message from the mobile unit to the public access point using the messaging service; and

receiving from the public access point a configuration information profile descriptor.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

configuring the mobile unit according to the configuration information profile descriptor; and

establishing said wireless network connection between the mobile unit and the public access point.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

accepting billing terms before configuring the mobile unit.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing the configuration information profile descriptor in a list of configuration information profile descriptors of public access points.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

Selecting from the list a configuration information profile descriptor;

establishing the wireless connection to the public access point by configuring the mobile unit according to the selected configuration information profile descriptor.

7. A method comprising:

using a messaging service to send from a public access point of a wireless local area network to a mobile unit configuration information to configure a wireless network configuration stack of the mobile unit.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a message of the messaging service from the mobile unit; and

sending a configuration information profile descriptor to the mobile unit on the messaging service.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending billing terms to the mobile station;

receiving from the mobile station an acceptance messages for the billing terms; and

sending the configuration information profile descriptor after receiving a confirmation to the billing terms.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver able to send and receive messages using a wireless telecommunication network messaging service;

a wireless network configuration stack; and

a controller able to receive a configuration information profile descriptor provided via the messaging service, wherein the configuration information profile descriptor is used to configure the wireless network configuration stack.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a memory to store the configuration information profile descriptor and data relating to the billing information of a user.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a wireless local area adapter to establish a local area network connection via a public access point based on the configuration information profile descriptor.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transceiver comprises a global system for mobile communication (GSM) transceiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wireless local area adapter complies with wireless local standard IEEE 802.11a.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wireless local area adapter complies with wireless local standard IEEE 802.11b.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a global system for mobile communication (GSM) transceiver able to send and receive messages using a GSM messaging service;

a wireless network configuration stack; and

a controller able to receive a configuration information profile descriptor provided via the GSM messaging service, wherein the configuration information profile descriptor is used to configure the wireless network configuration stack.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a memory to store the configuration information profile descriptor and data relating to the billing information of a user.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a wireless local area adapter to establish a local area network connection via a public access point based on the configuration information profile descriptor.

19. Ali article comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed result in;

configuring a mobile unit to establish a wireless network connection between the mobile unit and a wireless local area network by using a messaging service to exchange configuration information between the mobile unit and a public access point of the wireless local area network.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed result in:

sending a message from the MU to the public access point using the messaging service; and

receiving from the public access point a configuration information profile descriptor.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the instructions when executed result in:

configuring the mobile unit according to the configuration information profile descriptor; and

establishing said wireless network connection between the mobile unit and the public access point.

22. The article of claim 21 wherein the instructions when executed result in:

accepting billing terms before configuring the mobile unit.

23. The article of claim 21 wherein the instructions when executed result in:

storing the configuration information profile descriptor in a list of configuration information profile descriptors of public access points.

24. The article of claim 23 wherein the instructions when executed result in:

selecting from the list a configuration information profile descriptor;

establishing the wireless connection to the public access point by configuring the mobile unit according to the selected configuration information profile descriptor.