SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BROADCASTING APPLICATION-SPECIFIC INFORMATION IN WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS

• US 20090161595A1
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kapsch Trafficcom U.S. Corporation (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Original Assignee: Kapsch Trafficcom U.S. Corporation (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Inventors: McNew, Justin Paul, Liu, Jun, Chan, Johnny Yat Ming
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface

Abstract

A system and method for a novel broadcasting scheme (NBS) in a wireless local area network are described, which can operate with or without a network connection. The system permits transmission of application-specific data through a specific field in a beacon frame, the Service Set Identity (SSID). By implementing a NBS Processor in an AP and a NBS Parser in stations, the AP can broadcast application-specific data while the stations can automatically act upon the receipt of the broadcast.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting application data in a wireless network, the method comprising:

placing the application data in a management frame of the wireless network data communication format, wherein the application data includes data to execute a program unrelated to the wireless network;

broadcasting the management frame including the application data;

receiving the management frame including data to execute the program unrelated to the wireless network; and

automatically executing the program unrelated to the wireless network responsive to the received data in the management frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing and encoding the application data before placing it in the management frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the management frame is a beacon frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the management frame is a probe response frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network and the application data is transmitted in any management frame.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, and automatically executing are performed before a network connection is established.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, and automatically executing are performed after a network connection is established.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the application data is location based information displayed for a user.

9. A system for transmitting application data in a wireless network comprising:

an application module for receiving the application data, wherein the application data includes data to execute a program unrelated to the wireless network;

a processor for preparing the received application data and placing the received application data in a management frame;

a transmitter for assembling and broadcasting the management frame; and

a receiver for receiving the management frame including data to execute the program unrelated to the wireless network and automatically executing the program unrelated to the wireless network responsive to the received data in the management frame.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein there is no network connection established between the transmitter broadcasting the beacon frame and the receiver.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the management frame is a beacon frame.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the management frame is a probe response frame.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless network is an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network and the application data is transmitted in a Service Set Identity (SSID) field of a beacon frame.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless network is an EEEE 802.11 wireless local area network and the application data is transmitted in any management frame.

15. A method for data communication in a wireless network, the method comprising:

placing an application data to be transmitted in a management frame of the wireless network data communication format, wherein the application data includes data to execute a program unrelated to the wireless network;

broadcasting the management frame including the application data through the wireless network by a transmitter;

receiving the broadcast management frame by a receiver;

extracting the application data from the management frame; and

executing the program unrelated to the wireless network responsive to the received data in the management frame.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wireless network is an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network and the application data is broadcast in a Service Set Identity (SSID) field of a beacon frame.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiving, extracting, and executing are performed before a network connection is established between the receiver and the transmitter.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the application data is location based information displayed for a user.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the application data is advertisement displayed for a user.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the management frame is a beacon frame.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the management frame is a probe response frame.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless network is an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network and the application data is transmitted in any management frame.