LCD display on wireless router

• US 20060187890A1
• Filed: 01/30/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A device, such as an access point or router, in a wireless network includes a user-readable visual display that displays information about the network, such as the number of users, the identities of the users, the type of WAN connection, the channel, and other network information.

Claims

1. A device for facilitating communication in a wireless network with at least one wireless station, the device comprising:

an antenna configured to receive signals from the wireless station;

a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the antenna; and

a visual display coupled to the CPU and configured to receive information from the CPU about the wireless station and display the information in a user-readable format.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the user-readable format is alphabetic.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the user-readable format is numeric.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the user-readable format is alphanumeric.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual display is an LCD display.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the information is the number of users on the network.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the information is an identifier of all users on the network.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the identifier is a MAC address.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is an access point.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a router.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a controller coupled to the CPU, the controller adapted to select the type of information to be displayed.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the controller comprises at least one button.

13. A method of communicating network information in a wireless network comprising:

establishing a connection between a wireless station and a device on the network; and

displaying user-readable information on the device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the device is an access point.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the device is a router.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the information is the number of users on the network.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the information is an identifier of all users on the network.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the displaying is on an LCD display.

19. A device for facilitating communication in a wireless network, comprising:

means for establishing a connection between a wireless station and a device on the network; and

means for displaying user-readable information on the device.