Access scheme for a wireless LAN station to connect an access point

• US 6,345,043 B1
• Filed: 07/06/1998
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Datacomm Corp. (Usi Corporation)
• Original Assignee: National Datacomm Corp. (Usi Corporation)
• Inventors: Hsu, Yi-Shou
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US09/110,829
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/324, 370/328, 370/347, 370/350, 370/498, 370/503, 370/509, 370/512-514, 455/403, 455/435, 455/161.1
• US Class Current: 370/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

An access scheme for a wireless LAN station to connect an access point on the network. This scheme allows a wireless station to finish all the processes from search to registration with an AP at a very high speed. Firstly, the time interval of beacon transmission is shortened when a wireless station is powered on. Secondly, the authentication phase in traditional registration with an AP is eliminated. Instead, a period of time on each channel is reserved. Accordingly, the wireless LAN station can use this period to exchange control frames with the AP without competing with other stations to access wireless medium. This results in quick access to the network.

Claims

1. An access point state machine for establishing a connection link with wireless stations for a wireless local area network system having at least one basic service sets, each basic service set containing an access point and at least one wireless station, comprising:

data transfer state for transmitting beacon frames and accessing data frames by said access point, said access point scheduling a beacon frame as the next frame for transmission, transmitting a beacon frame at a fixed time interval on each hopping channel, and selecting a reserved period of time on each hopping channel for exchanging association control packets with said wireless stations; and

association reserved state for exchanging said association control packets with said wireless stations and switching to next hopping channel for continuing said data transfer state and association reserved state, said association control packets including association requests received from said wireless stations and association response frames transmitted by said access point, said access point transmitting an association response frame after an association request is received;

wherein said access point enters said reserved association state from said data transfer state once said reserved period of time starts, and said access point switches to next hopping channel for continuing said data transfer state and association reserved state once said reserved period expires.

2. The access point state machine according to claim 1, wherein said access point refers to a plurality of parameters including the number of booting up wireless stations and the throughput bandwidth of the wireless LAN system for selecting the length of said reserved period of time.