METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING WIRELESS SERVICE TO A COLLECTIVE OF REMOTE UNITS BY A WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK

• US 20120287914A1
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Smith, Dwight R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,788,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless local area network (WLAN) provides wireless service to a collective comprising multiple remote units (RUs) by use of a collective association identifier (AID) assigned to, and shared by, the multiple RUs. The WLAN then uses the collective association identifier AID to identify transmissions of common data to the multiple remote units. Furthermore, the WLAN provides for a serving AP to store, for the collective as a whole, shared data rather than individually storing such data in association with each remote unit (RU) in the collective. The WLAN further provides for RUs to establish a link with their serving AP in order to exchange data sourced by, or intended for, their associated non-RF service provider, and for the AP then to establish a separate AP-to-service provider link to exchange the data, rather than the RU being required to establish an end-to-end link with the service provider.

Claims

1. A method for providing wireless service by a wireless local area network to a plurality of remote units, the method comprising:

assigning a collective association identifier (AID) to the plurality of remote units;

conveying a signal to each remote unit of the plurality of remote units comprising the collective AID; and

storing the collective AID in association with an identifier of each remote unit of the plurality of remote units.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a collective association identifier (AID) to the plurality of remote units comprises:

receiving an Association Request from each remote unit of the plurality of remote units;

reporting the plurality of remote units to a non-radio frequency service provider associated with the remote unit;

assigning the collective AID to each remote unit of the plurality of remote units; and

conveying, to each remote unit of the plurality of remote units, an Association Response comprising the collective AID.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each remote unit of the plurality of remote units is associated with a same non-radio frequency service provider.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving data from a first remote unit of the plurality of remote units, wherein the data packet includes the collective association identifier (AID);

storing, at a network element of the wireless local area network, the data received from the first remote unit;

receiving data from a second remote unit of the plurality of remote units, wherein the data packet includes the collective AID;

storing, at the network element, the data received from the second remote unit; and

conveying, to the non-radio frequency service provider, the stored data received from the first remote unit and second remote unit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein conveying, to the non-radio frequency service provider, the stored data comprises one or more of:

conveying the stored data after receiving, and storing, data from a predetermined number of remote units of the plurality of remote units;

conveying the stored data based on a predetermined time period; and

conveying the stored data after expiration of a predetermined period of time since a first, in time, data packet associated with the stored data was received by the network element.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data from a non-radio frequency service provider associated with each remote unit of the plurality of remote units, wherein the data comprises common data intended for all of the plurality of remote units;

storing the received data at a network element of the wireless local area network;

receiving a request for data from a remote unit of the plurality of remote units, wherein the request comprises the collective association identifier (AID);

conveying the common data to the remote unit based on the collective AID.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the remote unit is a first remote unit and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request for data from a second remote unit of the plurality of remote units, wherein the request comprises the collective association identifier (AID);

conveying the common data to the second remote unit based on the collective AID.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the data received from the non-radio frequency service provider further comprises remote unit-specific data and wherein the method further comprises conveying, to the remote unit, remote unit-specific data intended for the remote unit.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the common data, intended for each remote unit of the plurality of remote units, is identified by the collective association identifier (AID) and wherein the remote unit-specific data is identified by a remote unit-specific identifier.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising deleting the stored data.

11. A method for interfacing with a wireless local area network, the method comprising:

associating, by a remote unit, with an access point associated with the wireless local area network;

receiving, by the remote unit from the access point, a collective association identifier (AID) that is associated with a plurality of remote units; and

storing, by the remote unit, the collective AID.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a collective association identifier (AID) comprises:

conveying an Association Request; and

in response to conveying the Association Request, receiving an Association Response comprising the collective AID.

13. The method of claim 11, the remote unit is associated with a same non-radio frequency service provider as the other remote units of the plurality of remote units.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising conveying, to the access point, data intended for the non-radio frequency service provider in a data packet that includes the collective association identifier (AID).

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

conveying, to the access point, a request for data that comprises the collective association identifier (AID);

in response to conveying the request for data, receiving, from the access point, common data intended for each remote unit of the plurality of remote units.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, in response to conveying the request for data, receiving remote unit-specific data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the common data, intended for each remote unit of the plurality of remote units, is identified by the collective association identifier (AID) and wherein the remote unit-specific data is identified by a remote unit-specific identifier.

18. An access point capable of operating in a wireless local area network, the access point comprising:

an at least one memory device that maintains a plurality of association identifiers (AIDs); and

a processor coupled to at least one memory device and that is configured to that assign an association identifier (AID) of the plurality of AIDs collective association identifier (AID) to a plurality of remote units to produce a collective AID, convey a signal to each remote unit of the plurality of remote units comprising the collective AID, and store, in the at least one memory device, an association between the collective AID and an identifier of each remote unit of the plurality of remote units.

19. The access point of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to assign a collective association identifier (AID) to the plurality of remote units by receiving an Association Request from each remote unit of the plurality of remote units, reporting the plurality of remote units to a non-radio frequency service provider associated with the remote unit, assigning the collective AID to each remote unit of the plurality of remote units, and conveying, to each remote unit of the plurality of remote units, an Association Response comprising the collective AID.

20. The access point of claim 18, wherein each remote unit of the plurality of remote units is associated with a same non-radio frequency service provider.

21. The access point of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to receive data from a first remote unit of the plurality of remote units, wherein the data packet includes the collective association identifier (AID), store, in the at least one memory device, the data received from the first remote unit, receive data from a second remote unit of the plurality of remote units, wherein the data packet includes the collective AID, store, in the at least one memory device, the data received from the second remote unit, and convey, to the non-radio frequency service provider, the stored data received from the first remote unit and second remote unit.

22. The access point of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to convey, to the non-radio frequency service provider, the stored data by one or more of:

conveying the stored data after receiving, and storing, data from a predetermined number of remote units of the plurality of remote units;

conveying the stored data based on a predetermined time period; and

conveying the stored data after expiration of a predetermined period of time since a first, in time, data packet associated with the stored data was received by the network element.

23. The access point of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to receive data from a non-radio frequency service provider associated with each remote unit of the plurality of remote units, wherein the data comprises common data intended for all of the plurality of remote units, store, in the at least one memory device, the received data, receive a request for data from a remote unit of the plurality of remote units, wherein the request comprises the collective association identifier (AID), and convey the common data to the remote unit based on the collective AID.

24. The access point of claim 23, wherein the remote unit is a first remote unit and wherein the processor is configured to receive a request for data from a second remote unit of the plurality of remote units, wherein the request comprises the collective association identifier (AID), and convey the common data to the second remote unit based on the collective AID.

25. The access point of claim 23, wherein the data received from the non-radio frequency service provider further comprises remote unit-specific data and wherein the processor is configured to convey, to the remote unit, remote unit-specific data intended for the remote unit.

26. The access point of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to identify the common data to each remote unit of the plurality of remote units, by including, in the conveyance, the collective association identifier (AID) in association with the common data and wherein the processor is configured to identify the remote unit-specific data by including, in the conveyance, a remote unit-specific identifier in association with the remote unit-specific data.

27. The access point of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to delete the stored data.

28. A remote unit capable of interfacing with a wireless local area network, the remote unit comprising:

an at least one memory device that maintains a remote unit-specific identifier associated with the remote unit; and

a processor that is configured to associate with an access point associated with the wireless local area network, receive a collective association identifier (AID) that is associated with a plurality of remote units, and store the collective AID in the at least one memory device.

29. The remote unit of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to receive the collective association identifier (AID) by conveying an Association Request and, in response to conveying the Association Request, receiving an Association Response comprising the collective AID.

30. The remote unit of claim 28, the remote unit is associated with a same non-radio frequency service provider as the other remote units of the plurality of remote units.

31. The remote unit of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to convey, to the access point, data intended for the non-radio frequency service provider in a data packet that includes the collective association identifier (AID).

32. The remote unit of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to convey, to the access point, a request for data that comprises the collective association identifier (AID) and, in response to conveying the request for data, receive, from the access point, common data intended for each remote unit of the plurality of remote units.

33. The remote unit of claim 32, wherein the processor is configured to, in response to conveying the request for data, receive remote unit-specific data intended for the remote unit.

34. The remote unit of claim 33, wherein the common data, intended for each remote unit of the plurality of remote units, is identified by the collective association identifier (AID) and wherein the remote unit-specific data is identified by the remote unit-specific identifier.