Off-channel beacons in a wireless network
First Claim
1. A method in a first wireless device, the wireless device including a transmitter and modulator for transmitting, and MAC hardware coupled to the transmitter and modulator, the method comprising:
- for a particular network identifier of at least one network identifier active in a wireless network that supports at least one network identifier, each network identifier identifying an infrastructure wireless network, each infrastructure wireless network having an access point transmitting beacon frames at a beacon frame rate, transmitting frames (“
off-channel beacons”
) from the first wireless device, the off-channel beacon frames configured to advertise the infrastructure wireless network of the particular network identifier by including advertising information advertising the infrastructure wireless network, the transmitting of off-channel beacons being in a provided channel (“
the off-channel-beacon channel”
) different than the channel in which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the transmitting of off-channel beacons further being at a rate higher than the beacon rate frame at which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the advertising information in the off-channel frames including information that indicates the channel or channels where the beacon frames of the advertised infrastructure networks or networks are being transmitted, such that a second wireless device receiving the off-channel beacon can use the information in the off-channel beacon to switch to any of the channels of the infrastructure wireless network or networks advertised in the off-channel beacon and/or to choose whether or not to associate or re-associate with the channel of any infrastructure network advertised in the off-channel beacon, the second wireless device being configured to interpret the information in the off-channel beacon that advertises the one or more infrastructure wireless networks.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method, apparatus, and software containing computer readable code to implement the method implemented in a first wireless device. The method includes, for a particular network identifier active in a wireless network, transmitting frames configured to advertise the infrastructure network of the particular network identifier. The transmitting of off-channel beacons is in a provided channel different than the channel in which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames. The transmitting of off-channel beacons further is at a rate higher than the beacon rate frame at which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method in a first wireless device, the wireless device including a transmitter and modulator for transmitting, and MAC hardware coupled to the transmitter and modulator, the method comprising:
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for a particular network identifier of at least one network identifier active in a wireless network that supports at least one network identifier, each network identifier identifying an infrastructure wireless network, each infrastructure wireless network having an access point transmitting beacon frames at a beacon frame rate, transmitting frames (“
off-channel beacons”
) from the first wireless device, the off-channel beacon frames configured to advertise the infrastructure wireless network of the particular network identifier by including advertising information advertising the infrastructure wireless network, the transmitting of off-channel beacons being in a provided channel (“
the off-channel-beacon channel”
) different than the channel in which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the transmitting of off-channel beacons further being at a rate higher than the beacon rate frame at which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the advertising information in the off-channel frames including information that indicates the channel or channels where the beacon frames of the advertised infrastructure networks or networks are being transmitted,such that a second wireless device receiving the off-channel beacon can use the information in the off-channel beacon to switch to any of the channels of the infrastructure wireless network or networks advertised in the off-channel beacon and/or to choose whether or not to associate or re-associate with the channel of any infrastructure network advertised in the off-channel beacon, the second wireless device being configured to interpret the information in the off-channel beacon that advertises the one or more infrastructure wireless networks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method in a first wireless station of a wireless network, the method comprising:
for a particular network identifier of at least one network identifier active in a wireless network that supports at least one network identifier, each network identifier identifying an infrastructure wireless network, each infrastructure wireless network having an access point transmitting beacon frames at a beacon frame rate, receiving one or more frames (“
off-channel beacons”
) from a second wireless device, the off-channel beacon frames configured to advertise the infrastructure wireless network of the particular network identifier by including advertising information advertising the infrastructure wireless network, the receiving of off-channel beacons being in a provided channel (“
the off-channel-beacon channel”
) different than the channel in which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the off-channel beacons being transmitted by the second wireless device at a rate higher than the beacon rate frame at which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the advertising information in the off-channel frames including information that indicates the channel or channels where the beacon frames of the advertised infrastructure networks or networks are being transmitted; and
interpreting the information in the received off-channel beacons, such that the first wireless device receiving the off-channel beacon advertising the infrastructure wireless network of the particular network identifier can use the information in the off-channel beacon to switch to any of the channels of the infrastructure wireless network or networks advertised in the off-channel beacon and/or to choose whether or not to associate or re-associate with the channel of any infrastructure network advertised in the off-channel beacon. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method in a first wireless device operating as an access point of a wireless network, the method comprising:
transmitting frames that include information indicative of a channel (the “
off-channel beacon channel”
) distinct from data channels, the off-channel beacon channel being the channel where, for a particular network identifier of at least one network identifier active in the wireless network that supports at least one network identifier, each network identifier identifying an infrastructure wireless network, one or more frames (“
off-channel beacons”
) from a second wireless device, the off-channel beacon frames configured to advertise the infrastructure wireless network of the particular network identifier by including advertising information advertising the infrastructure wireless network, the off-channel beacons being transmitted by the second wireless device at a rate higher than rate at which full beacons are transmitted by the first access point, the advertising information in the off-channel frames including information that indicates the channel or channels where the beacon frames of the advertised infrastructure networks or networks are being transmitted; and
such that a third wireless device receiving frames that include information indicative of the off-channel beacon channel and that can interpret off-channel beacons, can switch to the indicated off-channel beacon channel, and receive one or more off-channel beacons that provide for the third wireless device the ability to use the information in the off-channel beacon to switch to any of the channels of the infrastructure wireless network or networks advertised in the off-channel beacon and/or to choose whether or not to associate or re-associate with the channel of any infrastructure network advertised in the off-channel beacon.- View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A carrier medium, carrying at least one computer readable code segment to instruct one or more processors of a processing system to carry out a method in a first wireless device, the wireless device including a transmitter and modulator for transmitting, and MAC hardware coupled to the transmitter and modulator, the method comprising:
for a particular network identifier of at least one network identifier active in a wireless network that supports at least one network identifier, each network identifier identifying an infrastructure wireless network, each infrastructure wireless network having an access point transmitting beacon frames at a beacon frame rate, transmitting frames (“
off-channel beacons”
) from the first wireless device, the off-channel beacon frames configured to advertise the infrastructure wireless network of the particular network identifier by including advertising information advertising the infrastructure wireless network, the transmitting of off-channel beacons being in a provided channel (“
the off-channel-beacon channel”
) different than the channel in which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the transmitting of off-channel beacons further being at a rate higher than the beacon rate frame at which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the advertising information in the off-channel frames including information that indicates the channel or channels where the beacon frames of the advertised infrastructure networks or networks are being transmitted, such that a second wireless device receiving the off-channel beacon can use the information in the off-channel beacon to switch to any of the channels of the infrastructure wireless network or networks advertised in the off-channel beacon and/or to choose whether or not to associate or re-associate with the channel of any infrastructure network advertised in the off-channel beacon, the second wireless device being configured to interpret the information in the off-channel beacon that advertises the one or more infrastructure wireless networks.
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21. An apparatus in a wireless device including a transmitter and modulator, the apparatus comprising:
for a particular network identifier of at least one network identifier active in a wireless network that supports at least one network identifier, each network identifier identifying an infrastructure wireless network, each infrastructure wireless network having an access point transmitting beacon frames at a beacon frame rate, means for transmitting frames (“
off-channel beacons”
) from the first wireless device via the transmitter and modulator, the off-channel beacon frames configured to advertise the infrastructure wireless network of the particular network identifier by including advertising information advertising the infrastructure wireless network, the transmitting of off-channel beacons being in a provided channel (“
the off-channel-beacon channel”
) different than the channel in which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the transmitting of off-channel beacons further being at a rate higher than the beacon rate frame at which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the advertising information in the off-channel frames including information that indicates the channel or channels where the beacon frames of the advertised infrastructure networks or networks are being transmitted, such that a second wireless device receiving the off-channel beacon can use the information in the off-channel beacon to switch to any of the channels of the infrastructure wireless network or networks advertised in the off-channel beacon and/or to choose whether or not to associate or re-associate with the channel of any infrastructure network advertised in the off-channel beacon, the second wireless device being configured to interpret the information in the off-channel beacon that advertises the one or more infrastructure wireless networks.
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22. An apparatus in a wireless device including a transmitter and modulator, the apparatus including a processing element configured to carry out a method that includes:
for a particular network identifier of at least one network identifier active in a wireless network that supports at least one network identifier, each network identifier identifying an infrastructure wireless network, each infrastructure wireless network having an access point transmitting beacon frames at a beacon frame rate, transmitting frames (“
off-channel beacons”
) from the first wireless device via the transmitter and modulator, the off-channel beacon frames configured to advertise the infrastructure wireless network of the particular network identifier by including advertising information advertising the infrastructure wireless network, the transmitting of off-channel beacons being in a provided channel (“
the off-channel-beacon channel”
) different than the channel in which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the transmitting of off-channel beacons further being at a rate higher than the beacon rate frame at which the access point of the infrastructure wireless of the particular network identifier transmits beacon frames, the advertising information in the off-channel frames including information that indicates the channel or channels where the beacon frames of the advertised infrastructure networks or networks are being transmitted, such that a second wireless device receiving the off-channel beacon can use the information in the off-channel beacon to switch to any of the channels of the infrastructure wireless network or networks advertised in the off-channel beacon and/or to choose whether or not to associate or re-associate with the channel of any infrastructure network advertised in the off-channel beacon, the second wireless device being configured to interpret the information in the off-channel beacon that advertises the one or more infrastructure wireless networks.
Specification