Methods and apparatus for providing network broadcast information to WLAN enabled wireless communication devices
First Claim
1. A method of providing network broadcast information to one or more wireless devices by a wireless local area network, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving, from one or more available wireless networks or a network database, wireless network broadcast information associated with the one or more available wireless networks;
providing the wireless network broadcast information in a generic container message which varies in content and format according to one or more wireless standards associated with the one or more available wireless networks; and
causing the generic container message to be regularly broadcasted for receipt and use by a wireless device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One illustrative method of providing network broadcast information to a wireless device from a wireless local area network (WLAN) includes the steps of receiving, from one or more available cellular networks or a network database, cellular network broadcast information associated with the one or more available cellular networks; providing the cellular network broadcast information in a generic container message which varies in content and format according to one or more cellular standards associated with the one or more available cellular networks; and causing the generic container message to be regularly broadcasted for receipt and use by a wireless device. In an alternative approach, the steps include regularly broadcasting a network interworking indicator which is indicative of whether cellular network broadcast information is available for receipt from the WLAN; receiving a probe request from a wireless device; and causing the cellular network broadcast information to be sent to the wireless device in the generic container message in response to the probe request from the wireless device. The generic container message may alternatively or additionally include wireless network broadcast information from different types of wireless networks (e.g. Wi-MAX) which are available to the WLAN.
104 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method of providing network broadcast information to one or more wireless devices by a wireless local area network, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from one or more available wireless networks or a network database, wireless network broadcast information associated with the one or more available wireless networks;
providing the wireless network broadcast information in a generic container message which varies in content and format according to one or more wireless standards associated with the one or more available wireless networks; and
causing the generic container message to be regularly broadcasted for receipt and use by a wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A wireless local area network (WLAN) being adapted to receive, from one or more available wireless networks or a network database, wireless network broadcast information associated with one or more available wireless networks;
- provide the wireless network broadcast information in a generic container message which varies in content and format according to one or more wireless standards associated with the one or more available wireless networks; and
cause the generic container message to be regularly broadcasted for receipt and use by a wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- provide the wireless network broadcast information in a generic container message which varies in content and format according to one or more wireless standards associated with the one or more available wireless networks; and
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15. A method of receiving and processing network broadcast information from a wireless local area network by a wireless device, the method comprising the steps of:
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monitoring for broadcast information from a wireless local area network;
receiving a generic container message from the wireless local area network which is regularly broadcasted by the wireless local area network, the generic container message including wireless network broadcast information associated with one or more available wireless networks which varies in content and format in accordance with one or more wireless standards associated with the one or more available wireless networks;
decoding the generic container message to identify the wireless network broadcast information associated with the one or more available wireless networks; and
storing the wireless network broadcast information in memory. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A wireless device, comprising:
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one or more processors;
memory coupled to the one or more processors;
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;
an antenna coupled to the RF transceiver;
the one or more processors being operative to;
monitor for broadcast information from a wireless local area network with use of the RF transceiver;
receive generic container message which is regularly broadcasted by the wireless local area network, the generic container message including wireless network broadcast information associated with one or more available wireless networks which varies in content and format in accordance with one or more wireless standards associated with the one or more available wireless networks;
decode the generic container message to identify the wireless network broadcast information associated with the one or more available wireless networks; and
store the wireless network broadcast information in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of providing network broadcast information to one or more wireless devices by a wireless local area network, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from one or more available wireless networks or a network database, wireless network broadcast information associated with the one or more available wireless networks;
providing the wireless network broadcast information in a generic container message which varies in content and format according to one or more wireless standards associated with the one or more available wireless networks;
receiving a probe request from a wireless device; and
causing the generic container message to be sent to the wireless device in response to the probe request. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A wireless local area network (WLAN) being adapted to receive, from one or more available wireless networks or a network database, wireless network broadcast information associated with the one or more available wireless networks;
- provide the wireless network broadcast information in a generic container message which varies in content and format according to one or more wireless standards associated with the one or more available wireless networks;
receive a probe request from a wireless device; and
cause the generic container message to be sent to the wireless device in response to the probe request. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
- provide the wireless network broadcast information in a generic container message which varies in content and format according to one or more wireless standards associated with the one or more available wireless networks;
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39. A method of receiving and processing network broadcast information from a wireless local area network by a wireless device, the method comprising the steps of:
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causing a probe request to be sent to a wireless local area network;
receiving a generic container message from the wireless local area network in response to the probe request, the generic container message varying in content and format according to one or more wireless standards associated with one or more available wireless networks;
decoding the generic container message to identify wireless network broadcast information associated with the one or more available wireless networks; and
storing the wireless network broadcast information in memory. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A wireless device, comprising:
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one or more processors;
memory coupled to the one or more processors;
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;
an antenna coupled to the RF transceiver;
the one or more processors being operative to;
cause a probe request to be sent to a wireless local area network;
receive a generic container message from the wireless local area network in response to the probe request, the generic container message varying in content and format according to one or more wireless standards associated with one or more available wireless networks;
decode the generic container message to identify wireless network broadcast information associated with the one or more available wireless networks; and
store the wireless network broadcast information in memory of the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification