EFFICIENT WLAN DISCOVERY AND ASSOCIATION

• US 20120113971A1
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Giaretta, Gerardo, Horn, Gavin Bernard, Meylan, Arnaud
• Application Number:
  US13/290,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113971A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for discovering and associating with WLAN using Request to Send (RTS) and Clear to Send (CTS) frames. A mobile device may identify a WLAN access point associated with a location of the mobile device. The mobile device may transmit a Request to Send (RTS) frame to the access point and receive a CTS frame from the access point. The mobile device may determine that the access point is within range of the mobile device based on the received CTS frame. Some embodiments may provide for transmitting an association request frame to the access point in response to the received CTS frame. The association request frame may be transmitted to the access point in a time period associated with the CTS frame.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication in a mobile device, comprising:

identifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point associated with a location of the mobile device;

transmitting a Request to Send (RTS) frame to the access point;

receiving a Clear to Send (CTS) frame from the access point; and

determining that the access point is within range of the mobile device based on the received CTS frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an association request frame to the access point in response to the received CTS frame.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting the association request frame to the access point in a time period associated with the CTS frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the RTS frame comprises a request for clearance to transmit data for a null amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the RTS frame comprises a request for clearance to transmit data for an amount of time that is greater than a threshold associated with receiving a response from the access point.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the location of the mobile device;

determining a set of one or more wireless access points, including the identified access point, associated with the location of the mobile device; and

automatically transmitting the RTS frame to the set of one or more wireless access points in response to the determining the location of the mobile device and the determining the set of one or more wireless access points.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the location of the mobile device; and

selectively enabling WLAN connectivity in the mobile device in response to the determining the location of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that the location of the mobile device is near a location of the access point; and

selectively enabling WLAN connectivity in the mobile device in response to the determining the location of the mobile device and the determining that the location of the mobile device is near the location of the access point.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a condition for disabling RTS/CTS discovery has been met; and

disabling use of received CTS frames by the mobile device to determine whether access points are in the range of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the condition for disabling RTS/CTS discovery has been met comprises:

determining that no known access point is associated with the location of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

selectively enabling at least one of probe discovery or beacon discovery in response to the determining that the condition for disabling RTS/CTS discovery has been met.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with a cellular network to identify the access point associated with the location of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a table of access points stored by the mobile device to identify the access point based on the location of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of RTS frames to a plurality of access points;

receiving a plurality of CTS frames in response to the RTS frames;

determining that a number of access points of the plurality of access points are in range of the mobile device based on the received CTS frames; and

selecting one of the access points in range of the mobile device for association with the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting the one of the access points for association with the mobile device based on a set of rules.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting the one of the access points for association with the mobile device based on input from a user of the mobile device.

17. A mobile device configured for wireless communication, comprising:

an access point identification module configured to identify a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point associated with a location of the mobile device;

a transmitter module configured to transmit a Request to Send (RTS) frame to the access point;

a receiver module configured to receive a Clear to Send (CTS) frame from the access point; and

a range determination module configured to determine that the access point is within range of the mobile device based on the received CTS frame.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, further comprising:

an association module configured to generate an association request frame for the access point in response to the received CTS frame;

wherein the transmitter module is further configured to transmit the association request frame to the access point.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the association module is further configured to:

control the transmitter module to transmit the association request frame to the access point in a time period associated with the CTS frame.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, further comprising:

a location module configured to determine the location of the mobile device;

the access point identification module further configured to determine a set of one or more wireless access points, including the identified access point, associated with the location of the mobile device; and

a discovery module configured to configured to automatically cause the transmitter module to transmit the RTS frame to the access point in response to the determining the location of the mobile device and the determining the set of one or more wireless access points.

21. An apparatus configured to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:

means for identifying a WLAN access point associated with a location of the mobile device;

means for transmitting a Request to Send (RTS) frame to the access point;

means for receiving a Clear to Send (CTS) frame from the access point; and

means for determining that the access point is within range of the mobile device based on the received CTS frame.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for transmitting an association request frame to the access point in response to the received CTS frame.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for transmitting the association request frame to the access point in a time period associated with the CTS frame.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the RTS frame comprises a request for clearance to transmit data to the access point for a null amount of time.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the RTS frame comprises a request for clearance to transmit data to the access point for an amount of time that is greater than a threshold associated with receiving a response from the access point.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining the location of the mobile device;

means for determining a set of one or more wireless access points, including the identified access point, associated with the location of the mobile device; and

means for automatically transmitting the RTS frame to the set of one or more access points in response to the determining the location of the mobile device and the determining the set of one or more wireless access points.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining the location of the mobile device; and

means for selectively enabling WLAN connectivity in the mobile device in response to determining the location of the mobile device.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

means for determining that the location of the mobile device is near a location of the access point; and

means for selectively enabling WLAN connectivity in the mobile device in response to the determining the location of the mobile device and the determining that the location of the mobile device is near the location of the access point.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining a condition for disabling RTS/CTS discovery has been met; and

means for disabling determination by the mobile device of whether access points are in the range of the mobile device based on received CTS frames.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the means for determining that the condition for disabling RTS/CTS discovery has been met comprises:

means for determining that no known access point is associated with the location of the mobile device.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

means for selectively enabling at least one of probe discovery or beacon discovery in response to determining that the condition for disabling RTS/CTS discovery has been met.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for communicating with a cellular network to identify the access point associated with the location of the mobile device.

33. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for transmitting a plurality of RTS frames to a plurality of access points;

means for receiving a plurality of CTS frames in response to the RTS frames;

means for determining that a number of access points of the plurality of access points are in range of the mobile device based on the received CTS frames; and

means for selecting one of the access points in range of the mobile device for association with the mobile device.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for selecting the one of the access points for association with the mobile device based on a set of rules.

35. A computer program product configured to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN), the product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the medium comprising:

code to identify a WLAN access point associated with a location of the mobile device;

code to transmit a Request to Send (RTS) frame to the access point;

code to receive a Clear to Send (CTS) frame from the access point; and

code to determine that the access point is within range of the mobile device based on the received CTS frame.

36. A method for wireless communication in a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, comprising:

receiving a Request to Send (RTS) frame at an access point from a mobile device;

transmitting a Clear to Send (CTS) frame from the access point to the mobile device in response to the RTS frame; and

receiving an association request frame from the mobile device based on the CTS frame.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

receiving the association request frame from the mobile device within a time period associated with the CTS frame.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the time period associated with the CTS frame comprises a time period for transmission specified by the CTS frame.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

transmitting an association response frame to the mobile device within the time period associated with the CTS frame.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the RTS frame comprises a request for clearance to transmit data to the access point for a null amount of time.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein the RTS frame comprises a request for clearance to transmit data to the access point for an amount of time that is greater than a threshold associated with receiving a response from the access point.

42. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

providing a location of the access point to the mobile device.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

communicating with a cellular network to provide the location of the access point to the mobile device.

44. A wireless local area network (WLAN) access point apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a Request to Send (RTS) frame at an access point from a mobile device;

means for transmitting a Clear to Send (CTS) frame from the access point to the mobile device in response to the RTS frame; and

means for receiving an association request frame from the mobile device based on the CTS frame.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising:

means for receiving the association request frame from the mobile device within a time period associated with the CTS frame.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the time period associated with the CTS frame comprises a time period for transmission specified by the CTS frame.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising:

means for transmitting an association acknowledgment message to the mobile device within the time period associated with the CTS frame.