Mechanism to enable discovery of link/network features in WLAN networks

• US 20060268802A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Faccin, Stefano M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/362 Conditional handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A mechanism is provided to enable a station to discover link/network/service information about a potential wireless point of attachment by extending the set of information that is available before the station actually authenticates and associates to the wireless point of attachment. The mechanism includes a method for interworking between a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), including that defined in IEEE 802.11 Standard Protocol, and one or more other networks, including a 3GPP, 3GPP2 or IEEE 802.16), featuring extending a set of information that is available before a network node actually authenticates and associates to the wireless point of attachment. The network node may be a station (STA), and the beacon may contain the set of information, where the beacon is extended with information that allow a terminal to identify if mobility (handoff) to an access point (AP) implies an L3 handoff or only an L2 handoff, including information about a subnet prefix of a subnet a new AP belongs to. When a station (STA) listens to the beacon, the STA discovers that the AP can provide additional information. If the STA is interested, the STA sends a probe request indicating which information it requires, and the AP returns available information in a probe response based on the information.

Claims

1. A method for interworking between a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), including that defined in IEEE 802.11 Standard Protocol, and one or more other networks, including a 3GPP, 3GPP2 or IEEE 802.16), wherein the method comprises

extending a set of information that is available before a network node actually authenticates and associates to the wireless point of attachment.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network node is a station (STA).

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the beacon contains the set of information.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the set of information includes a limited number of bits to indicate the ability of the access point (AP) to support discovery of information.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the beacon is extended with information that allow a terminal to identify if mobility (handoff) to an access point (AP) implies an L3 handoff or only an L2 handoff, including information about a subnet prefix of a subnet a new AP belongs to.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein probe request/response messages are also extended so that a station (STA) can request information in a probe request message and obtain them in the same.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein neighbour reports are enhanced to include some information.

8. A method according to claim 3, wherein when a station (STA) listens to the beacon, the STA discovers that the AP can provide additional information.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein if the STA is interested, the STA sends a probe request indicating which information it requires, and the AP returns available information in a probe response based on the information.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein two new control/action frames are provided (e.g. Information Request/Response) so that a station (STA) can request information from an access point (AP).

11. A method according to claim 2, wherein the method includes providing the STA with a roaming identifier (roaming ID) so that when the STA connects to an access point (AP), the STA can provide the Roaming ID to the AP, and the AP can verify if the Roaming ID is supported or not and reply to the STA accordingly.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the roaming ID is defined by a home operator of a roaming aggregator to avoid the STA having to maintain a long list of SSIDs to help the STA identify which AP to connect to based on roaming agreements between the home operator and a current AP.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the method also includes defining a Roaming Service Layer Agreement (SLA) having certain requirements related to desired services supported so that when the STA connects to the AP, the STA can provide one or more desired roaming SLA parameters to the AP, and the AP can verify if the one or more desired SLA parameters are supported or not and reply to the STA accordingly.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the roaming SLA is defined by a home operator of a roaming aggregator with different meanings for different values of roaming service, including quality and/or security of service.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set of information includes information to allow a station (STA) to detect that movement to a new access point (AP) requires either that a new IP address (for roaming case) be obtained or that a fast handoff at L3 is needed.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set of information includes the type of service available or supported, including:

Unrestricted, Unfettered Internet Access, Restricted Access—

outbound TCP, UDP, ICMP, Ipsec, Web Access only, No Access.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set of information includes the type of connectivity, including Ipv4, Ipv6, etc.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set of information includes information about the type of credentials required for authentication, including no credentials required (open enrollment), one-time PIN, persistent shared-secret, username/password combination. X.509 certificate chain rooted in a trusted certificate authority, self-signed X.509 certificate (potentially plus PIN or username/password), credit card, etc.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set of information includes information about the type of enrollment, including whether automatic enrolment supported, whether the AP and STA support a common method of enrollment, etc.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set of information includes information about the availability of 802.21 services at L3.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set of information includes information about mesh/ad-hoc networks issues, including an indication the network is a mesh network;

the type of mesh network;

the type of authentication;

the type of connectivity allowed by mesh network;

the type of security solution supported;

the type of routing algorithm;

whether a terminal can specify the type of features that a route must satisfy;

or some combination thereof.

22. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes requesting information by a station (STA) with a requested information descriptor having a collection of parameter codes, and replying with information in a return information descriptor from an access point (AP).

67. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more steps of the method are performed in a computer program running on a processor or other suitable processing device in a network node in the network or system.

23. A network having a first network node for providing interworking between a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), including that defined in IEEE 802.11 Standard Protocol, and one or more other networks, including a 3GPP, 3GPP2 or IEEE 802.16), wherein

the first network node is configured to extend a set of information that is available before a second network node actually authenticates and associates to the wireless point of attachment.

24. A network according to claim 23, wherein the first network node is a station (STA).

25. A network according to claim 23, wherein the beacon contains the set of information.

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

38. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

41. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

43. (canceled)

44. (canceled)

45. A network node for providing interworking between a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), including that defined in IEEE 802.11 Standard Protocol, and one or more other networks, including a 3GPP, 3GPP2 or IEEE 802.16), wherein

the network node is configured to extend a set of information that is available before a second node actually authenticates and associates to the wireless point of attachment.

46. A network node according to claim 45, wherein the second network node is a station (STA).

47. A network node according to claim 45, wherein the beacon contains the set of information.

48. (canceled)

49. (canceled)

50. (canceled)

51. (canceled)

52. (canceled)

53. (canceled)

54. (canceled)

55. (canceled)

56. (canceled)

57. (canceled)

58. (canceled)

59. (canceled)

60. (canceled)

61. (canceled)

62. (canceled)

63. (canceled)

64. (canceled)

65. (canceled)

66. (canceled)

68. A computer program product for a network node for providing interworking between a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), including that defined in IEEE 802.11 Standard Protocol, and one or more other networks, including a 3GPP, 3GPP2 or IEEE 802.16), wherein the computer program product is configured to extend a set of information that is available before a network node actually authenticates and associates to the wireless point of attachment.