SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONNECTION TO A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20110002261A1
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Xue, Adam, Jalali, Mohsen, Mocanu, Iulian
• Granted Patent: US 8,618,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for connection and/or reconnection of a computing device to a wireless network. Embodiments of the system and method may, when appropriate, inhibit use of stored IP addresses, for example by deleting or effectively deleting stored IP addresses. By deleting or effectively deleting stored IP addresses, the computing device is influenced to request, via an associated wireless communication device, a new valid IP address from an access point which in turn requests a valid IP address from the wireless service provider server.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device configured to communicate with one or more network access points, the device comprising:

a processor,

a memory operatively coupled to said processor and adapted for

storing one or more internet protocol addresses received from a corresponding network access point; and

a deletion mechanism operatively coupled to said processor and said memory, the deletion mechanism adapted for deleting said one or more internet protocol addresses from said memory.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device includes a wireless-enabled hardware component selected from the group comprising:

wireless capable modems, wireless network cards, wireless adapters, embedded communication modules, wireless network interface controllers, and wireless LAN adapters.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device includes a computing device.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein the computing device is operatively coupled to a wireless-enabled hardware component.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4, wherein the computing device and the wireless-enabled hardware component are operatively coupled using a connection protocol selected from the group comprising:

USB™

, IrDA™

infrared, PCMCIA™

, ExpressCard™

, and Firewire™

.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein deleting the one or more internet protocol addresses from memory involves an operation selected from the group comprising:

overwriting physical computer memory, resetting flags or program variables indicative of the presence of data stored in memory, temporarily moving data to a new memory location, and temporarily adjusting pointers or flags.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the deletion mechanism is operated if the wireless communication device is determined to be mobile.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more internet protocol addresses is temporarily deleted by said deletion mechanism, the wireless communication device further comprising a restoration mechanism operatively coupled to said processor and said memory, the restoration mechanism adapted for restoring said one or more temporarily deleted internet protocol addresses to said memory.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the restoration mechanism is operated if the wireless communication device is determined to be stationary.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the deletion mechanism is operated upon disconnection of the wireless communication device from the wireless network.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the deletion mechanism is operated prior to initiating connection of the computing device to the wireless network.

6. (canceled)

13. A method for connection of a computing device to a wireless network, said computing device previously connected to one or more network access points using corresponding one or more internet protocol addresses, said one or more internet protocol address stored in a memory of said computing device, the method comprising:

deleting the one or more internet protocol addresses from said memory,

obtaining a new internet protocol address for said computing device, said computing device being communicatively linked to a network access point through a wireless communication device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein deleting the one or more internet protocol addresses from memory involves an operation selected from the group comprising of:

overwriting physical computer memory, resetting flags or program variables indicative of the presence of data stored in memory, temporarily moving data to a new memory location, and temporarily adjusting pointers or flags.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of determining whether the computing device is mobile, wherein the one or more internet protocol addresses are deleted if the computing device is determined to be mobile.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the one or more internet protocol addresses is temporarily deleted, the method further comprising the step of restoring the at least one temporarily deleted internet protocol address.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of determining whether the computing device is stationary, wherein the at least one temporarily deleted internet protocol address is restored if the computing device is determined to be stationary.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of monitoring for a network event selected from the group comprising:

network connection events, network disconnection events, and network reconnection events, wherein the one or more internet protocol addresses are deleted upon occurrence of said network event.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more internet protocol addresses are deleted upon disconnection of the computing device from the wireless network.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more internet protocol addresses are deleted prior to initiating connection of the computing device to the wireless network.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining the new internet protocol address is performed using a non-abbreviated procedure for requesting allocation of the new internet protocol address from a DHCP server.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the method is facilitated at least in part by a software agent.

23. A computer readable medium having recorded thereon statements and instructions for execution by a computer to carry out a method for connection of a computing device to a wireless network, said computing device previously connected to one or more network access points using corresponding one or more internet protocol addresses, said one or more internet protocol address stored in a memory of said computing device, the method comprising:

deleting the one or more internet protocol addresses from said memory,

obtaining a new internet protocol address for said computing device, said computing device being communicatively linked to a network access point through a wireless communication device.