Apparatus and method for using multiple communication paths in a wireless LAN
First Claim
1. A method for transmitting a message between a first wireless station and a second wireless station, said first wireless station being in wireless communication with a first access point (AP) computer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (1) storing in said first AP computer a connection list indicating whether said second wireless station is currently in communication with said first AP computer;
(2) broadcasting said connection list from said first AP computer;
(3) receiving and storing said connection list in said first wireless station;
(4) determining in said first wireless station, prior to transmitting said message, whether said second wireless station is currently in communication with said first AP computer by referencing said connection list stored in said step (3);
(5) responsive to a determination in said step (4) that said second wireless station is currently in communication with said first AP computer, transmitting said message directly from said first wireless station to said second wireless station; and
(6) responsive to a determination in said step (4) that said second wireless station is not currently in communication with said first AP computer, transmitting said message from said first wireless station to said first AP computer for subsequent transmission to said second wireless station.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for reducing bottlenecks in a wireless communication system by allowing messages to be directly transmitted between wireless stations in certain circumstances instead of transmitting such messages through a centralized access point (AP) computer. Each AP computer maintains a connection list reflecting which stations are currently "connected" by wireless link to the AP by virtue of their being in its service area. As wireless stations move into and out of the service area for a particular AP, the AP updates this list, and any changes to the list are broadcast to all wireless stations in the service area. Thus, all stations (and the AP) have a current list of stations in the area. Each wireless station may periodically transmit a "keep alive" message to the AP, and thus the AP can determine which stations are in its area by noting which stations send such messages. Before transmitting a message, the transmitting station checks its copy of the connection list to determine whether the destination station is in the same service area or not. If it is in the same service area and the communication link with it is good, then the message is directly transmitted to the destination station. Otherwise, the message is transmitted to the AP for further relay to the destination station.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method for transmitting a message between a first wireless station and a second wireless station, said first wireless station being in wireless communication with a first access point (AP) computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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(1) storing in said first AP computer a connection list indicating whether said second wireless station is currently in communication with said first AP computer; (2) broadcasting said connection list from said first AP computer; (3) receiving and storing said connection list in said first wireless station; (4) determining in said first wireless station, prior to transmitting said message, whether said second wireless station is currently in communication with said first AP computer by referencing said connection list stored in said step (3); (5) responsive to a determination in said step (4) that said second wireless station is currently in communication with said first AP computer, transmitting said message directly from said first wireless station to said second wireless station; and (6) responsive to a determination in said step (4) that said second wireless station is not currently in communication with said first AP computer, transmitting said message from said first wireless station to said first AP computer for subsequent transmission to said second wireless station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A machine for transmitting a message between a first wireless station and a second wireless station, said first wireless station comprising means for wirelessly communicating with a first access point (AP) computer, the machine comprising:
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means for storing in said first AP computer a connection list indicating whether said second wireless station is currently in communication with said first AP computer; means for broadcasting said connection list from said first AP computer; means for receiving and storing said broadcasted connection list in said first wireless station; means for, from said first wireless station, determining whether said second wireless station is currently in communication with said first AP computer by referencing said connection list stored in said first wireless station; means for, responsive to a determination that said second wireless station is currently in communication with said first AP computer, transmitting said message directly from said first wireless station to said second wireless station; and
, responsive to a determination that said second wireless station is not currently in communication with said first AP computer, transmitting said message from said first wireless station to said first AP computer for subsequent transmission to said second wireless station. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An access point (AP) computer, comprising:
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a data structure comprising a plurality of entries each including a wireless station address field and an activity flag; a connection list broadcast function for broadcasting wireless station address data in said data structure to one of more wireless stations; a second data structure comprising a plurality of entries each including a wireless station address field; means for receiving said wireless station address data broadcasted from said AP computer and storing said wireless station address data extracted from said data structure into said second data structure; and means for transmitting said message to said AP computer instead of to another wireless station when an address of said another wireless station is not among said wireless station address data contained in said plurality of entries in said second data structure.
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22. A wireless station for communicating with a access pint (AP) computer and with a second wireless station, comprising:
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a data structure comprising a plurality of entries each including a wireless station address; a connection list update function which receives a connection list from said AP computer, extracts addresses therefrom, and stores said extracted addresses into said data structure; and a transmit determination function, coupled to said data structure, for receiving a request to transmit a message to a second wireless station, searching said addresses extracted from said connection list received from said AP computer and stored in said data structure for an address corresponding to said second wireless station, and, responsive to a determination that said corresponding address is included in said data among those extracted and stored addresses, causing said message to be transmitted directly to said second wireless station. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A wireless station for communicating with an access point (AP) computer and with a plurality of other wireless stations in communication with said AP computer, comprising:
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a computer including a memory for storing a plurality of wireless station addresses of said wireless stations in communication with said AP computer and a plurality of indicators each indicating wether direct communication with a corresponding one of the other wireless stations is possible; and a transmit determination function which, prior to transmitting a message to a selected station chosen from one of the plurality of other wireless stations, searches the memory for a wireless station address corresponding to the selected station, and, responsive to locating the corresponding address in the memory, checks one of the plurality of indicators to determine whether direct communication with the selected station is possible and, responsive to a determination that direct communication is possible, transmits the message directly to the selected stations and, responsive to a determination that direct communication is not possible, transmits the message to the AP computer. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for transmitting messages from a first wireless station to a second wireless station in a network having a router, comprising the steps of:
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determining in said router that said first and second wireless stations are in communication with said router; storing respective addresses of said first and second wireless stations in a router memory of said router; broadcasting said respective addresses from said router memory to said first and second wireless stations; storing said second wireless station address in a first wireless station memory of said first wireless station; transmitting a message directly from said first wireless station to said second wireless station responsively to said second wireless station address being in said first wireless station memory, whereby said route is bypassed. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A network, comprising:
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first and other wireless stations; an access point (AP) computer; said first wireless station having a memory holding a data structure having records, each record having a single address field; said first wireless station having a controller programmed to enter address data, contained in a transmission of said address data from said AP computer to said first wireless station, into said address fields; said controller being further programmed to transmit information from said first wireless station to a selected one of said other wireless stations only when an address of said selected one of said other wireless stations is contained in said address data contained in said transmission from said AP computer to said first wireless station.
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41. A method for reducing bottlenecks in an access point (AP) computer in wireless communication with a group of wireless stations, comprising the steps of
(1) providing a capability for said wireless stations to communicate directly with each other, thereby bypassing said AP computer; -
(2) determining in one of said wireless stations whether another of said wireless stations is in communication with said AP computer; (3) determining in said one of said wireless stations whether direct communication between said one of said wireless stations and said another of said wireless stations is possible; (4) transmitting a message directly between said one of said wireless stations and said another of said wireless stations only when said another of said wireless stations is determined, in step (4), to be in communication with said AP computer. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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Specification