WIRELESS NETWORK ROAMING TIMER METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20110244856A1
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaya L. Jeyaseelan, Nitin Gupta
• Original Assignee: Jaya L. Jeyaseelan, Nitin Gupta
• Inventors: Gupta, Nitin, Jeyaseelan, Jaya L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/304 due to measured or perceived resources with higher communication quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

A mobile station in a wireless network includes a roaming timer. The roaming timer is set based on various criteria, and when the roaming timer expires, an attempt to roam is performed.

Claims

1. A method to initiate roaming in a mobile station, wherein the mobile station is associated with a first access point, the method comprising:

communicating with the first access point to receive a request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with a second access point; and

resetting a roaming timer, wherein the roaming timer is to determine a delay time of associating the mobile station with the second access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein resetting the roaming timer comprises resetting the roaming timer responsive to receiving the request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with the second access point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein resetting the roaming timer comprises setting the timer to a value indicating no delay time for associating the mobile station with the second access point;

and

the method further comprising initiating an attempt to associate the mobile station with the second access point in response to setting no delay time of associating the mobile station with the second access point.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of missed beacons from the first access point;

comparing the number of missed beacons from the first access point with a corresponding threshold; and

wherein communicating with the first access point to receive the request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with the second access point comprises receiving the request in response to comparing the number of missed beacons from the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of retransmissions of packets or frames to the first access point;

comparing the number of retransmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with a corresponding threshold; and

wherein communicating with the first access point to receive the request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with the second access point comprises receiving the request in response to comparing the number of retransmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a data rate of transmissions of packets or frames to the first access point;

comparing the data rate of transmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with a corresponding threshold; and

wherein communicating with the first access point to receive the request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with the second access point comprises receiving the request in response to comparing the data rate of transmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an average received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from received packets or frames from the first access point;

comparing the RSSI with a corresponding threshold; and

wherein communicating with the first access point to receive the request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with the second access point comprises receiving the request in response to comparing the RSSI with the corresponding threshold.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that the second access point is better than the first access point based on the comparison of the number of missed beacons from the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that the second access point is better than the first access point based on the comparison of the number of retransmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the second access point is better than the first access point based on the comparison of the data rate of transmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that the second access point is better than the first access point based on the comparison of the RSSI with the corresponding threshold.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station and the access point are operable in accordance with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11v and/or IEEE 802.11k.

17. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein the processor is to further to:

determine a number of retransmissions of packets or frames to the first access point;

compare the number of retransmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with a corresponding threshold; and

wherein the processor to communicate with the first access point to receive the request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with the second access point is to receive the request in response to comparing the number of retransmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

18. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein the processor is to further to:

determine a data rate of transmissions of packets or frames to the first access point;

compare the data rate of transmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with a corresponding threshold; and

wherein the processor to communicate with the first access point to receive the request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with the second access point is to receive the request in response to comparing the data rate of transmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with a corresponding threshold.

19. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein the processor is to further to:

determine an average received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from received packets or frames from the first access point;

compare the RSSI with a corresponding threshold; and

wherein the processor to communicate with the first access point to receive the request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with the second access point is to receive the request in response to comparing the data rate of transmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

21. The mobile station of claim 17, wherein the processor is to further to:

determine that the second access point is better than the first access point based on the comparison of the number of retransmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

22. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein the processor is to further to:

determine that the second access point is better than the first access point based on the comparison of the data rate of transmissions of packets or frames to the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

23. The mobile station of claim 19, wherein the processor is to further to:

determine that the second access point is better than the first access point based on the comparison of the RSSI with the corresponding threshold.

13. A mobile station comprising:

an omni-directional antenna;

a radio interface coupled to the omni-directional antenna to interact with a first access point; and

a processor coupled to the radio interface, wherein the processor is to;

communicate with the first access point to receive a request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with a second access point; and

reset a roaming timer, wherein the roaming timer is to determine a delay time of associating the mobile station with the second access point.

14. The mobile station of claim 13, wherein the processor to reset the roaming timer is to reset the roaming timer responsive to receiving the request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with the second access point.

15. The mobile station of claim 13, wherein the processor to reset the roaming timer is to set the timer to a value indicating no delay time for associating the mobile station with the second access point;

and wherein the processor is further to initiate an attempt to associate the mobile station with the second access point in response to setting no delay time of associating the mobile station with the second access point.

16. The mobile station of claim 13, wherein the processor is to further to:

determine a number of missed beacons from the first access point;

compare the number of missed beacons from the first access point with a corresponding threshold; and

wherein the processor to communicate with the first access point to receive the request to end the association of the mobile station with the first access point and associate the mobile station with the second access point is to receive the request in response to comparing the number of missed beacons from the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

20. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the processor is to further to:

determine that the second access point is better than the first access point based on the comparison of the number of missed beacons from the first access point with the corresponding threshold.

24. The mobile station of claim 13, wherein the mobile station and the access point are to operate in accordance with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11v and/or IEEE 802.11k.