WIRELESS POINT THAT PROVIDES FUNCTIONS FOR A WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK TO BE SEPARATED BETWEEN THE WIRELESS POINT AND ONE OR MORE CONTROL NODES, AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SERVICE IN A WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK HAVING FUNCTIONS SEPARATED BETWEEN A WIRELESS POINT AND ONE OR MORE CONTROL NODES

• US 20120005354A1
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: CHENG, Hong, Tan, Pek Yew, Govindan, Saravanan
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0861 between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method for negotiations between various entities of a wireless local area network (WLAN) including negotiations between controlling nodes (CNs) and wireless access points (WAPs) and negotiations between WAPs is disclosed. These negotiations are used for the purpose of establishing the capabilities of the various entities, determining how such capabilities may be optimally divided among the negotiating entities and then dividing the capabilities among the entities based on this determination. The capabilities include those required for the operation, control and management of the WLAN entities and the encompassing WLAN. The disclosed method introduces means for flexibly accommodating the varying degrees of differences in capabilities among the WLAN entities between the WLAN entities including dynamic changes in WLAN topologies.

Claims

1. A wireless point that provides for functions for a wireless local area network to be separated between said wireless point and one or more control nodes, said wireless point comprising:

a discovery unit configured to send a discovery request message to said one or more control nodes;

a selecting unit configured to select one control node of said one or more control nodes based on one or more discovery response messages sent to said wireless point from said one or more control nodes in response to said discovery request message, each of said one or more discovery response messages including information of functions offered by the associated control node of said one or more control nodes; and

a session establishing unit configured to establish a secure session with said selected one control node.

2. The wireless point according to claim 1, further comprising:

a negotiation unit configured to exchange information about the functions to be separated between said selected one control node and said wireless point.

3. The wireless point according to claim 2, wherein said information exchange is performed by transmitting, to the selected one control node, information about functions that said wireless point has, and receiving, from said selected one control node, information about functions that said selected one control node has.

4. The wireless point according to claim 1, wherein said functions for a wireless local area network comprise at least one of Beacon Signal Control, Power Management, Quality of Service (QoS), Scheduling, Authentication, and Encryption/Decryption.

5. A method for providing service in a wireless local area network that provides for functions for said wireless local area network to be separated between a wireless point and one or more control nodes, said method comprising steps of:

sending a discovery request message to said one or more control nodes;

selecting a control node of said one or more control nodes based on one or more discovery response messages sent to said wireless point from said one or more control nodes in response to said discovery request message, each of said one or more discovery response messages including information of functions offered by the associated control node of said one or more control nodes; and

establishing a secure session with said selected one control node.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

exchanging information about the functions to be separated between said selected one control node and said wireless point.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said information exchange is performed by transmitting, to the selected one control node, information about functions that said wireless point has, and receiving, from said selected one control node, information about functions that said selected one control node has.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein said functions for a wireless local area network comprise at least one of Beacon Signal Control, Power Management, Quality of Service (QoS), Scheduling, Authentication, and Encryption/Decryption.