System and method for providing fast roaming
First Claim
1. A method of fast roaming between access points (APs) for a wireless STAtion (STA), the method comprising:
- initiating a scanning operation based on a measured quality of a signal connecting the STA to an initial AP operating on an initial channel;
scanning individual channels in an order dictated by a scan list until a satisfactory access point operating on a new channel is located;
roaming to the satisfactory access point operating on the new channel; and
updating the scan list by inserting the initial channel into a highest priority position in the scan list such that the initial channel is the first channel to be scanned in a subsequent fast roam operation, and removing the new channel from the scan list.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless STAtions (STA) that provides for fast roaming between access points (AP) by maintaining a scan list that is modified based on the results of previous roaming operations. The scan list dictates the order in which the STA scans channels for a satisfactory AP. By modifying the scan list to place channels previously identified as being used by AP'"'"'s in higher priority positions, the amount of time required to identify a satisfactory AP in future scanning operations is reduced. In particular, the fast roaming STA places the channel used by an AP previously connected to the STA in the highest priority position in the scan list. In this way, channels used by APs previously connected to the STA populate the highest priority positions in the scan list, as the likelihood that the STA will connect to an AP on these channels in the future is very high.
105 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of fast roaming between access points (APs) for a wireless STAtion (STA), the method comprising:
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initiating a scanning operation based on a measured quality of a signal connecting the STA to an initial AP operating on an initial channel; scanning individual channels in an order dictated by a scan list until a satisfactory access point operating on a new channel is located; roaming to the satisfactory access point operating on the new channel; and updating the scan list by inserting the initial channel into a highest priority position in the scan list such that the initial channel is the first channel to be scanned in a subsequent fast roam operation, and removing the new channel from the scan list. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A wireless STAtion (STA) that provides fast roaming between access points (AP) in a wireless network, the STA including:
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a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver for communicating with an associated AP operating on a selected channel; a measuring component for measuring signal quality of access points operating on a selected channel; a memory module for storing a scan list that dictates the order in which channels are scanned in a roaming operation; and a processor for implementing a fast roaming algorithm, wherein the processor decides based on a measured signal quality provided by the radio-frequency transceiver of a current AP whether to initiate a scanning operation, wherein if the scanning operation is initiated, the processor instructs the RF transceiver and measuring component to scan channels in the order provided by the scan list until a satisfactory AP is identified, wherein the STA roams to the satisfactory AP and the processor updates the scan list based on the results of the roaming operation. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of minimizing roam time for a wireless STAtion (STA), the method comprising:
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updating an ordered list that determines the order in which channels are scanned during a scanning operation based on previous channels used by AP'"'"'s connected to the STA; scanning channels in the order determined by the updated ordered list until a satisfactory AP operating on a scanned channel is located, wherein the scan of additional channels is discontinued once a satisfactory AP has been located. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of fast roaming between access points (APs) for a wireless STAtion (STA), the method comprising:
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measuring signal quality of an initial AP with which the STA is currently associated; measuring signal quality of additional APs operating on a same channel as the initial AP; determining based on the measured signal quality of the initial AP whether a roaming operation to a new AP should be initiated; determining whether one of the additional APs operating on the same channel as the initial AP is satisfactory based on the measured signal quality of the additional APs; initiating a scanning operation in which individual channels are scanned in an order dictated by a scan list until a satisfactory access point operating on a new channel is located if no APs operating on the same channel as the initial AP are determined to be satisfactory; roaming to a satisfactory access point; and updating the scan list if the satisfactory access point is operating on a channel different than the initial channel by inserting the initial channel into a highest priority position in the scan list such that the initial channel is the first channel to be scanned in a subsequent fast roam operation, and removing the new channel from the scan list.
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Specification