Coordinating a transition of a roaming client between wireless access points using another client in physical proximity
First Claim
1. A method of a mobile user device discovering one or more candidates to serve as a roaming coordinator for a transition of the mobile user device from a first wireless access point to a second wireless access point, the method comprising an act of:
- (a) transmitting one or more discovery requests across one or more wireless networks, each discovery request requesting candidates to serve as a roaming coordinator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for handling a transition of a roaming mobile user device (i.e., a roaming client) from one access point (AP) to a target AP, referred to herein as soft inter-AP handoff. This technique involves a second mobile user device that is already connected with the target AP, called a roaming coordinator, assisting in handoff coordination between the APs. This coordination includes assisting the roaming client in establishing a client-to-client connection to relay data traffic during the handoff, while the roaming client establishes a connection with the target AP using traditional techniques. Soft inter-AP handoff allows a faster hand-off between APs than traditional techniques, and may reduce jitter in communications with the roaming device during the transition.
47 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of a mobile user device discovering one or more candidates to serve as a roaming coordinator for a transition of the mobile user device from a first wireless access point to a second wireless access point, the method comprising an act of:
(a) transmitting one or more discovery requests across one or more wireless networks, each discovery request requesting candidates to serve as a roaming coordinator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for discovering a candidate to serve as a roaming coordinator for a transition of the mobile user device from a mobile wireless access point to a second wireless access point, the system comprising:
a mobile user device operative to receive from a roaming user device across one or more wireless networks a discovery request requesting one or more candidates to serve as a roaming coordinator for the roaming user device, and operative to send to the roaming user device a response to the discovery request. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile user device is operative to exchange cryptographic keys with the roaming user device prior to the transition.
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15. A computer program product comprising:
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a computer-readable medium; and computer-readable signals, stored on the computer-readable medium, that define instructions that, as a result of being executed by a computer, control the computer to perform a method of establishing a client-to-client connection between a roaming mobile user device and a second mobile user device that will serve as a roaming coordinator to coordinate an exchange of data between the roaming mobile user device and a first wireless access point, the method comprising an act of; (a) selecting the second mobile user device from a candidate list listing one or more mobile user devices that are candidates to serve as the roaming coordinator. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification