Service discovery architecture and method for wireless networks

• US 20050078644A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Elgebaly, Hani, Liu, Changwen, Tsai, Jr-Shian, Kardach, James P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,403,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/908 Local area network

Abstract

Techniques and structures are disclosed for providing service related information to wireless users within a wireless network.

Claims

1. A wireless access point comprising:

a memory to store information relating to services available in an associated network;

a wireless transceiver to provide wireless communication with one or more wireless client devices; and

a controller to generate a services signal using service related information from said memory and to cause said wireless transceiver to transmit said services signal.

2. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein:

said controller includes a service abstraction unit to parse service information received from a service discovery server and store said service information in said memory.

3. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein:

said services signal is transmitted as part of a beacon signal transmitted by said wireless transceiver.

4. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein:

said wireless access point is programmed for use within a wireless network that utilizes medium access control (MAC) frames, wherein said services signal is transmitted as part of a frame body of a MAC frame.

5. The wireless access point of claim 4, wherein:

said services signal includes one or more information elements within said frame body of said MAC frame.

6. The wireless access point of claim 5, wherein:

said frame body of said MAC frame also includes information relating to a service advertisement frequency.

7. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein:

said services signal describes services using an extensible markup language (XML).

8. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein:

said services signal describes services using a format that is readable within a data link layer of the associated network.

9. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein:

said controller is programmed to generate said services signal in response to a request received from a wireless client device.

10. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein:

said controller is programmed to broadcast services signals at predetermined intervals.

11. A wireless access point, comprising:

a memory; and

a controller to receive information about services available within an associated network from at least one service discovery server and to store the information in a predetermined format within the memory.

12. The wireless access point of claim 11, wherein:

said controller is programmed to generate a services signal, using information from said memory, to be transmitted to one or more wireless client devices within the associated network.

13. The wireless access point of claim 12, wherein:

said services signal describes services available within the associated network in a format that is readable within a data link layer of the associated network.

14. The wireless access point of claim 12, wherein:

said services signal describes services using an extensible markup language (XML).

15. The wireless access point of claim 12, comprising:

a wireless transceiver to wirelessly transmit said services signal.

16. The wireless access point of claim 12, wherein:

said services signal is transmitted as part of a medium access control (MAC) frame.

17. The wireless access point of claim 12, wherein:

said controller includes a service abstraction unit to parse the information received from the at least one service discovery server and store the information in the memory.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processor to execute one or more programs;

a wireless network interface unit, in communication with said processor, to provide wireless communication with a wireless access point in a wireless network; and

a module, coupled to said wireless network interface unit, to receive a services signal from the wireless access point that describes service availability in the wireless network and to cause service information to be displayed to a user of the apparatus based on the content of the services signal, wherein said module is capable of receiving said services signal and causing said service information to be displayed during a power save mode of said apparatus when said processor is powered down.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

said services signal is part of a broadcast signal received by the wireless network interface unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

said services signal is part of a beacon signal received by the wireless network interface unit.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

said services signal is part of a medium access control (MAC) frame received by the wireless network interface unit.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

said services signal is included within a frame body of said MAC frame.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

said services signal includes at least one information element within said frame body of said MAC frame.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein:

said at least one information element utilizes at least one information element ID in the range from 32 to 255.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

said services signal describes services using an extensible markup language (XML).

26. The apparatus of claim 18, comprising:

a main display and an AON display, wherein said service information is displayed on said AON display during a power save mode.

27. A method comprising:

receiving information relating to services available within a network from one or more service discovery servers;

storing the information within a memory in a wireless access point; and

generating a services signal to be wirelessly transmitted in the network, using information stored in the memory.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

transmitting said services signal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

transmitting said services signal includes broadcasting said services signal to wireless client devices within a coverage area of the wireless access point.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein:

transmitting said services signal includes transmitting said services signal as part of a wireless beacon signal.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein:

transmitting said services signal includes transmitting said services signal as part of a medium access control (MAC) frame.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein:

transmitting said services signal includes transmitting said services signal within a frame body of said MAC frame.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein:

transmitting said services signal includes transmitting said services signal within an information field of said frame body of said MAC frame.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein:

said services signal describes services using an extensible markup language (XML).

35. The method of claim 27, wherein:

said services signal describes services available within the associated network in a format that can be read within a data link layer of the network.

36. A system comprising:

a wireless access point including;

a memory to store information relating to services available in an associated network;

a wireless transceiver to provide wireless communication with one or more wireless client devices; and

a controller to generate a services signal using information from said memory and to cause said wireless transceiver to transmit said services signal; and

a portable computer to receive the services signal from said wireless transceiver and to display network service information to a user of the portable computer based thereon.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein:

said portable computer can receive a services signal and display network service information to a user when in a power save mode.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein:

said wireless transceiver transmits said services signal as part of a medium access control (MAC) frame.