APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CHANGING ACCESS POINT IN WIRELESS NETWORK SYSTEM

• US 20090116448A1
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHOI, Hye-Eun, NAM, Sang-Su
• Granted Patent: US 8,675,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0077 of access information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

An apparatus and method of changing an access point in a wireless network system is provided. The wireless network system includes a first access point existing on a wireless network, and a user terminal accessing the first access point. The first access point transmits information on a second access point, which is one of a plurality of access points accessible by the user terminal, to the user terminal, and the user terminal determines whether to access the second access point and accesses the second access terminal in accordance with the determination result.

Claims

1. A wireless network system comprising:

a first access point which exists on a wireless network; and

a user terminal which accesses the first access point;

wherein the first access point transmits information on a second access point, which is one of a plurality of access points accessible by the user terminal, to the user terminal, and the user terminal determines whether to access the second access point and accesses the second access terminal in accordance with a result of the determination.

2. The wireless network system of claim 1, wherein the user terminal transmits a probe request packet, receives probe response packets in response to the probe request packet from the plurality of access points, selects and accesses the first access point, and transmits information on the plurality of access points to the first access point.

3. The wireless network system of claim 2, wherein the information on the plurality of access points is inputted to an accessible access point set field included in the probe request packet to be transmitted.

4. The wireless network system of claim 1, wherein the first access point receives information on performance from the plurality of access points, determines whether the first access point is in a normal state, selects an access point having the best performance among the plurality of access points as the second access point if the first access point is determined to not be in a normal state, and transmits information on the second access point to the user terminal.

5. The wireless network system of claim 4, wherein the information on the performance includes accommodation capabilities of the plurality of access points.

6. The wireless network system of claim 4, wherein the information on the second access point is inputted to a recommended access point set field included in a probe response packet of the first access point to be transmitted.

7. The wireless network system of claim 6, wherein the probe response packet further includes an access point load state field for inputting a load state of the first access point.

8. The wireless network system of claim 1, wherein the user terminal determines whether to access the second access point by determining whether a performance of the second access point is greater than a performance of the first access point.

9. A method of changing an access point in a wireless network system, the method comprising:

accessing a first access point from a user terminal;

transmitting information on a second access point, which is one of a plurality of access points accessible by the user terminal, from the first access point to the user terminal;

determining by the user terminal whether to access the second access point; and

accessing the second access point from the user terminal if an access to the second access point is desired as a result of the determination.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the accessing the first access point comprises:

transmitting a probe request packet from the user terminal;

receiving probe response packets at the user terminal in response to the probe request packet from the plurality of access points;

selecting and accessing, by the user terminal, the first access point among the plurality of access points using the probe response packets; and

transmitting information on the plurality of access points from the user terminal to the first access point.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information on the plurality of access points is inputted to an accessible access point set field included in the probe request packet to be transmitted.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting comprises:

receiving information at the first access point on performance from the plurality of access points;

determining whether the first access point is in a normal state;

selecting an access point having the best performance among the plurality of access points as the second access point and transmitting information on the second access point to the user terminal, if the first access point is determined not to be in a normal state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information on the performance includes accommodation capabilities of the plurality of access points.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the information on the second access point is inputted to a recommended access point set field included in a probe response packet of the first access point to be transmitted.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the probe response packet further includes an access point load state field for inputting a load state of the first access point.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining comprises determining whether to access the second access point by determining whether a performance of the second access point is greater than a performance of the first access point.