Usage of multiple SSIDs for doing fast WLAN network discovery

• US 20070002884A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Jaakkola, Mikko, Suomi, Arto, Poyhonen, Jari
• Application Number:
  US11/372,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20070002884A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The invention proposes a method for scanning an access network, comprising the steps of sending a plurality of probe requests directed to access networks within a first time period, waiting for responses to the plurality of requests within a second time period following the first time period, and detecting the access networks based on the received responses. The invention also proposes a corresponding device for wireless communication.

Claims

1. A method for scanning an access network, comprising the steps of:

sending a plurality of probe requests directed to access networks within a first time period;

waiting for responses to the plurality of requests within a second time period following the first time period; and

detecting the access networks based on the received responses.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each probe requests comprises an identity of an access network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the probe requests are sent as a burst.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

receiving a scan request including a list of access network identities,

wherein the receiving step is performed before the sending step.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the access networks are Wireless Local Area Networks.

6. A device for wireless communication, comprising:

a sending means configured to send a plurality of probe requests, which are directed to access networks, respectively, during a first time period;

a receiving means configured to receive probe responses which are based on the sent probe requests during a second time period following the first time period; and

a detection means for detecting access networks, wherein

the detection means is configured to detect the access networks based on received probe responses.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein each probe requests comprises an identity of an access network.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein the sending means is configured to send the probe requests as a burst.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the detection means is configured to receive a scan request including a list of access network identities before the probe requests are sent by the sending means.

10. The device according to claim 6, wherein the networks are Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) and the device for wireless communication is a WLAN device.

11. A host device for hosting a device for wireless communication, the host device comprising:

means for generating a scan request such that a list of access network identities are included in one scan request; and

means for sending the generated scan request to the device for wireless communication.

12. The host device according to claim 11, wherein the networks are Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) and the device for wireless communication is a WLAN device.

13. A system comprising:

a host device for hosting a device for wireless communication, the host device comprising means for generating a scan request such that a list of access network identities are included in one scan request and means for sending the generated scan request to the device for wireless communication and;

a device for wireless communication comprising a sending means configured to send a plurality of probe requests, which are directed to access networks, respectively, during a first time period, a receiving means configured to receive probe responses which are based on the sent probe requests during a second time period following the first time period and a detection means for detecting access networks, wherein the detection means is configured to detect the access networks based on received probe responses.

14. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising software code portions for performing, when the computer program product is executed on a processing device, the steps of:

sending a plurality of probe requests directed to access networks within a first time period;

waiting for responses to the plurality of requests within a second time period following the first time period; and

detecting the access networks based on received responses.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the software code portions are stored on the computer-readable medium.

16. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the processing device is part of a WLAN device.