Broadcast/multicast filtering by the bridge-based access point
First Claim
1. In a communications system comprising a plurality of wired networks, a plurality of wireless networks and an access point between each wireless network and a wired network, each said access point controlling the transmission of messages between one of said wireless networks and one of said wired networks, wherein said access points control said transmission by performing the following steps:
- creating a table in each said access point, said table including the identity of each node in its associated wireless network and predetermined communication parameters associated with each node on said associated wireless network;
comparing identity and communication parameter information associated with each message received by said access point with corresponding information in said table at said access point; and
transmitting, to said associated wireless network, only those messages which will be responded to by a node on said associated wireless network as determined by comparing said identity and communications parameters in said received message to entries in said table.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In communication systems which include high speed wired local area networks (LANs) and low speed wireless LANs, the bandwidth of the wireless LANs can be severely impacted. It has been found that many broadcast or multicast messages which are forwarded to the wireless LANs are not required as the mobile terminals which would receive the messages are not required to act on them. The present invention provides a means and method to filter out unneeded messages so that they do not impact the bandwidth of the wireless network. Each access point for each wireless LAN maintains a table of parameters for each associated mobile terminal in the connected wireless LAN. The parameters in that table are compared to the parameters in message frames received by the access point and only those messages having parameters found in the table are put on the wireless LAN. The level of filtering can be controlled by specifying which parameters are to be used for filtering messages. The tables at each access point are maintained current by moving table entries from access point to access point as mobile terminals move from wireless LAN to wireless LAN and by removing inactive table entries from the table when a predetermined interval of inactivity is encountered and a terminal is determined to be no longer in active contact with the access point.
218 Citations
12 Claims
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1. In a communications system comprising a plurality of wired networks, a plurality of wireless networks and an access point between each wireless network and a wired network, each said access point controlling the transmission of messages between one of said wireless networks and one of said wired networks, wherein said access points control said transmission by performing the following steps:
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creating a table in each said access point, said table including the identity of each node in its associated wireless network and predetermined communication parameters associated with each node on said associated wireless network; comparing identity and communication parameter information associated with each message received by said access point with corresponding information in said table at said access point; and transmitting, to said associated wireless network, only those messages which will be responded to by a node on said associated wireless network as determined by comparing said identity and communications parameters in said received message to entries in said table. - View Dependent Claims (10, 12)
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2. In a communications network including at least one wired network and at least one wireless local area network LAN and at least one access point connecting the at least one wireless LAN to the at least one wired network, a device to control transmission of messages between said at least one wireless LAN and said at least one wired network so as to preserve bandwidth on said at least one wireless LAN, said device comprising:
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means for storing a table of predetermined message parameters at the at least one access point; means for comparing parameters in each message received from the at least one wired network connected to said at least one access point to said parameters stored in said table; and means for transmitting messages between said at least one wireless LAN and said at least one wired network when said parameters in said each message correspond to message parameters in said table in said at least one access point. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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11. A device for controlling the transmission of messages between at least one wired network and at least one wireless network comprising:
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a first interface means for coupling the device to the at least one wired network; a second interface means for coupling the device to the at least one wireless network; and a third interface means for interconnecting the first interface means and the second interface means, said third interface means including a filtering means for receiving messages from the at least one wired network correlating selected parameters in selected ones of the messages received to parameters stored in said device and forwarding messages to said at least one wireless network if the selected parameters in said selected ones of the messages correspond to selected ones of the parameters stored and forwarding to the at least one wireless network only those messages requiring action from a node on said at least one wireless network.
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Specification