Transmitting a communication from a wireless access point indicating available networks and their capabilities

• US 20070025371A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, Timothy, Krantz, Anton, Alam, Mohammad, Niikkonen, Ari
• Granted Patent: US 7,876,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless access point may be configured to advertise, to mobile user devices, multiple wireless networks available through the wireless access point. For example, service set identifiers (SSIDs) may be specified within an information element (IE) of a communication such as, for example, an 802.11 beacon, broadcasted to mobile user devices. Such an IE may utilize the capability provided by IEEE 802.11 itself to use additional and flexible numbers of information elements within a beacon. Accordingly, networks that would otherwise remain hidden due to limitations of known wireless access points are made visible to mobile user devices. Configuring a wireless access point to advertise multiple available wireless networks, for example, by firmware upgrades, may serve as a viable and cost-effective interim solution and/or alternative to replacing a wireless access point with a wireless access point configured to implement virtual wireless access points.

Claims

1. A communication protocol for communicating between a wireless access point of a communications network and at least one mobile user device, the method comprising an act of:

(A) irrespective of whether a communication has been previously received from any of the at least one mobile user device, transmitting, from the wireless access point to the at least one mobile user device, a first communication specifying at least one wireless network available to the at least one mobile user device through the wireless access point and specifying whether the at least one wireless network provides wireless provisioning information.

2. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein the act (A) comprises specifying, within the first communication, whether the at least one wireless network provides wireless provisioning information in accordance with Wireless Provisioning Services.

3. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein the act (A) comprises transmitting, within the communication, an indication of whether the at least one specified wireless network provides security in accordance with a particular wireless security technology.

4. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein the act (A) comprises transmitting the first communication as a beacon communication in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

5. The communication protocol of claim 4, wherein the act (A) comprises transmitting an information element within the beacon communication, the information element specifying the at lease one available wireless network and specifying whether the at least one wireless network provides wireless provisioning information.

6. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein the act (A) comprises transmitting a plurality of service set identifiers within the communication, each service set identifier specifying a wireless network available to the at least one user device through the wireless access point.

7. The communication protocol of claim 1, further comprising acts of:

(B) receiving the first communication at the at least one mobile user device; and

(C) communicating, to a user of the at least one user device or, the at least one available wireless network and whether the at least one available wireless network provides wireless provisioning information.

8. The communication protocol of claim 1, further comprising acts of:

(B) receiving the first communication at the at least one mobile user device; and

(C) establishing a network connection between the at least one mobile user device and the wireless access point.

9. A communication protocol for communicating between a wireless access point of a communications network and at least one mobile user device, the method comprising an act of:

(A) prior to the at least one mobile user device attempting to establish a connection to the wireless access point, receiving, at the mobile user device, a first communication from the wireless access point specifying at least one wireless network available to the at least one mobile user device through the wireless access point and specifying whether the at least one wireless network provides wireless provisioning information.

10. The communication protocol of claim 9, wherein the act (A) comprises specifying, within the first communication, whether the at least one wireless network provides wireless provisioning information in accordance with Wireless Provisioning Services.

11. The communication protocol of claim 9, wherein the act (A) comprises receiving, within the communication, an indication of whether the at least one specified wireless network provides security in accordance with a particular wireless security technology.

12. The communication protocol of claim 9, wherein the act (A) comprises receiving the first communication as a beacon communication in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

13. The communication protocol of claim 12, wherein the act (A) comprises receiving an information element within the beacon communication, the information element specifying the at least one available wireless network and specifying whether the at least one wireless network provides wireless provisioning information.

14. The communication protocol of claim 9, wherein the act (A) comprises receiving a plurality of service set identifiers within the communication, each service set identifier specifying a wireless network available to the at least one user device through the wireless access point.

15. The communication protocol of claim 9, further comprising an act of:

(B) communicating, to a user of the at least one user device, the at least one available wireless network and whether the at least one available wireless network provides wireless provisioning information.

16. The communication protocol of claim 9, further comprising an act of:

(B) establishing a network connection between the at least one mobile user device and the wireless access point.

17. A system for communicating on a communications network, the system comprising:

a wireless access point operative to transmit a first communication to at least one mobile user device, irrespective of whether a communication has been previously received from any of the at least one mobile user device, the first communication specifying at least one wireless network available to the at least one mobile user device through the wireless access point and specifying whether the at least one wireless network provides wireless provisioning information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless access point is operative to specify, within the first commuunication, whether the at least one wireless network provides wireless provisioning information in accordance with Wireless Provisioning Services.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless access point is operative to transmit, within the first communication, an indication of whether the at least one specified wireless network provides security in accordance with a wireless security technology.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless access point is operative to transmit the first communication as a beacon communication in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.