Access point control of client roaming

• US 20060002350A1
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Energy Limited
• Original Assignee: Tropos Networks Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Behroozi, Cyrus
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data

Abstract

Methods of access point control of client roaming are disclosed. The methods can include the access point periodically transmitting requests to a client, the access point monitoring reception of response to the requests, and the access point transmitting at least one disassociation frame if a response is not received by the access point from the client. An embodiment includes the disassociation frame being suppressed if the access point receives an association response from another access point that is intended for the client. Another embodiment includes the access point transmitting a disassociation frame if a response is received from the client, and a signal quality parameter of the response is below a threshold.

Claims

1. A method of access point control of client roaming, comprising:

an access point monitoring reception of signals from a client with which the access point has had communication;

if the access point stops receiving signals from the client, the access point transmitting a link status indication to the client that indicates the access point is not receiving signals from the client.

2. The method of access point control of claim 1, further comprising:

the access point periodically transmitting requests to a client;

wherein the access point monitoring reception of signals from a client comprises the access point monitoring reception of a responses to the requests;

and wherein the access point transmitting a link status indication that the access point is not receiving signals from the client comprises the access point transmitting at least one disassociation frame if a response is not received by the access point from the client.

3. The method of access point control of claim 2, wherein the request is an ARP request.

4. The method of access point control of claim 2, wherein the response is an ARP response.

5. The method of access point control of claim 1, further comprising the link status indication not being transmitted if the access point determines the client is communicating with another access point.

6. The method of access point control of claim 5, wherein the link status indication is not transmitted if the access point determines the client is communicating with another access point comprises a disassociation frame being suppressed if the access point receives an association response from another access point that is intended for the client.

7. The method of access point control of claim 2, wherein transmission of the at least one disassociation frame is suppressed if the access point receives an association response from another access point that is intended for the client.

8. The method of access point control of claim 1, further comprising:

the access point transmitting the link status indication if a signal quality parameter of signals received from the client is below a threshold.

9. The method of access point control of claim 2, further comprising:

the access point transmitting a disassociation frame if a response is received from the client, and a signal quality parameter of the response is below a threshold.

10. The method of access point control of claim 8, wherein the signal quality parameter is at least one of signal power, SNR, PER and BER.

11. The method of access point control of claim 9, wherein the signal quality parameter is at least one of signal power, SNR, PER and BER.

12. The method of access point control of claim 1, wherein the access point is a wireless node within a wireless mesh network.

13. The method of access point control of claim 12, wherein the access node includes a wireless data path to a gateway that is connected to a network.

14. The method of access point control of claim 2, wherein requests and disassociation frames are transmitted according to an 802.11 transmission protocol.

15. A method of network control of client roaming, the network comprising a plurality of access nodes and at least one client, the method comprising:

at least one access node monitoring reception of signals from the client;

the at least one access node transmitting a link status indication to the client if the access node stops receiving signals from the client.

16. The method of network control of claim 15, further comprising:

the at least one access node periodically transmitting requests to the client;

wherein the at least one access node monitoring reception of signals from the client comprises the at least one access node monitoring reception of responses to the requests; and

wherein the at least one access node transmitting a link status indication to the client if the access node stops receiving signals from the client comprises the at least one access node transmitting at least one disassociation frame if a response is not received by the access node from the client.

17. The method of network control of claim 16, wherein the request is an ARP request.

18. The method of network control of claim 16, wherein the response is an ARP response.

19. The method of network control of claim 15, wherein the link status indicator is not transmitted if the access node receives an association response from another access node that is intended for the client.

20. The method of network control of claim 16, wherein the disassociation frame is suppressed if the access node receives an association response from another access node that is intended for the client.

21. The method of network control of claim 15, further comprising:

the at least one access node transmitting the link status indicator if a signal quality parameter of signals received by the access node from the client is below a threshold.

22. The method of network control of claim 16, further comprising:

the at least one access node transmitting a disassociation frame if a response is received from the client, and a signal quality parameter of the response is below a threshold.

23. The method of network control of claim 16, further comprising the client transmitting an association request when attempting to connect to the network, and each access node that receives the association request responding with an association response, in which timing of transmission of the association responses by each of the access nodes is dependent upon a magnitude of a quality parameter of the received association request of the client.

24. The method of network control of claim 16, wherein the client responds to received disassociation frames by transmitting a new association request in an attempt to locate a new access node for connection with the network.

25. A wireless access node comprising:

means for monitoring reception of signals from a client with which the access node has had communication;

if the access node stops receiving signals from the client, means for transmitting a link status indication to the client that indicates the access node is not receiving signals from the client.

26. The wireless access node of claim 25, further comprising:

means for periodically transmitting requests to a client;

means for monitoring reception of response to the requests;

means for transmitting at least one disassociation frame if a response is not received by the access node from the client.

27. The wireless access node of claim 26, wherein the disassociation frame is suppressed if the access node receives an association response from another access node that is intended for the client.

28. The wireless access node of claim 26, further comprising:

the access node transmitting a disassociation frame if a response is received from the client, and a signal quality parameter of the response is below a threshold.

29. A wireless mesh network, the network comprising a plurality of access nodes and at least one client, each access node comprising:

means for periodically transmitting requests to a client;

means for monitoring reception of response to the requests;

means for transmitting at least one disassociation frame if a response is not received by the access point from the client.

30. The wireless mesh network of claim 29, wherein the disassociation frame is suppressed if the access node receives an association response from another access node that is intended for the client.

31. The wireless mesh network of claim 29, further comprising:

the at least one access node transmitting a disassociation frame if a response is received from the client, and a signal quality parameter of the response is below a threshold.

32. The wireless mesh network of claim 29, further comprising the client transmitting an association request when attempting to connect to the network, and each access node that receives the association request responding with an association response, in which timing of transmission of the association responses by each of the access nodes is dependent upon a magnitude of a quality parameter of the received association request of the client.

33. The wireless mesh network of claim 29, wherein the client responds to received disassociation frames by transmitting a new association request in an attempt to locate a new access node for connection with the network.