Method and network for wlan session control

• US 20060253893A1
• Filed: 12/04/2003
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Stefan, Rommer
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A network is provided comprising at least one access point (AP1, AP2) and one access-controlling node (WSN, AS) whereby the identity of the station can be approved by the access controlling node (WSN, AS). The at least one access-controlling node WSN issues at least one IAPP message causing the AP with which the station is currently associated to disassociate the given station thereby terminating the access for the given station.

Claims

1. Network comprising at least one access point (AP1, AP2) and one access controlling node (WSN, AS), the access points making use of the IAPP protocol for inter AP communication, wherein at least one station (STA1) may associate with the access points (AP1, AP2), whereby the identity of the station can be approved by the access controlling node (AS), wherein

the at least one access-controlling node (AS;

WSN) issues at least one IAPP message causing the AP with which the station is currently associated to disassociate the given station and thereby terminating access for the given station.

2. Network according to claim 1, wherein a first access-controlling node (AS/WSN) is an authentication server connected to the Internet.

3. Network according to claim 2, wherein a second access control node is provided, the second access control node being a gateway node (WSN).

4. Network according to claim 2, wherein the access-controlling node issues an IAPP ADD notify message.

5. Network according to claim 2, wherein the access-controlling node issues an IAPP move notify message.

6. Network according to claim 3, wherein the access-controlling node issues a Lock out request (103) to the gateway node.

7. Access controlling node connecting to at least a group, of access points, the access points making use of the IAPP protocol for inter AP communication and providing access to at least one station (STA1), the station (STA1), whereby the identity of the station can be approved by the access controlling node (AS), whereby

the at least one access-controlling node (AS;

WSN) issues at least one IAPP message causing the AP with which the station is currently associated to disassociate the given station and thereby terminating access for the given station.

8. Access controlling node according to claim 7, wherein the termination of access is conditional on the exhaustion of an account relating to the given station.

9. Method of terminating access for a WLAN station comprising the steps of

monitoring whether a given station is having access to any of a given subset of access points and monitoring an account relating to the given station being associated with a given access point of the subset of access points

if detecting that the account relating to the given station is zero

issuing an IAPP message causing the access point of the subset with which the given station is associated to disassociate the given station.