System, method and article of manufacture for utilizing a wireless link in an interface roaming network framework

• US 6,542,740 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 3, LLC
• Original Assignee: LitePoint Corporation (Teradyne Incorporated)
• Inventors: Olgaard, Christian Volf, Bouas, Spiros Nikolaos, Umstattd, Rick William, Madsen, Benny
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, THANG Q
• Application Number:
  US09/695,503
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 455/111, 455/41, 455/422, 455/434, 455/515, 455/456
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for utilizing a wireless link in an interface roaming network. A wireless link is utilized to scan a vicinity of the wireless link to detect one or more interface clients in the vicinity. The wireless link then transmits to an infrastructure server information relating to the interface clients detected in the vicinity. Based on the transmitted information, the infrastructure server then selects one of the interface clients. Subsequently, the wireless link receives a notification from the infrastructure server of the selected interface client and a connection between the infrastructure server and the selected interface client is initiated for communication therebetween.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a wireless link in an interface roaming network, comprising:

(a) scanning a vicinity utilizing a wireless link to detect one or more interface clients in the vicinity of the wireless link;

(b) transmitting from the wireless link to an infrastructure server information relating to the interface clients detected in the vicinity, wherein the infrastructure server selects one of the interface clients based on the transmitted information;

(c) receiving a notification from the infrastructure server of the selected interface client utilizing the wireless link; and

(d) connecting the infrastructure server and the selected interface client for communication therebetween.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an activation notification to the infrastructure server prior to scanning the vicinity to detect interface clients in the vicinity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure server and the selected interface client are connected for communication therebetween via the wireless link.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically scanning the vicinity utilizing the wireless link to detect additional interface clients in the vicinity of the wireless link; and

utilizing the wireless link to notify the infrastructure server if an additional interface client is detected in the vicinity of the wireless link.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising utilizing the wireless link to receive from the infrastructure server a query to whether the user wants to connect to the additional interface client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein scanning a vicinity utilizing a wireless link to detect one or more interface clients in the vicinity of the wireless link further comprises:

receiving a signal from each interface client in the vicinity utilizing the wireless link.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting utilizing the wireless link an initial signal in the vicinity for receipt by interface clients in the vicinity, wherein the signals received by the wireless link from the interface clients in the vicinity of the wireless link are transmitted by the interface clients in response to the initial signal from the wireless link.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the interface clients detected in the vicinity includes information relating the capabilities of the detected interface clients.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving formatting information from the infrastructure server utilizing the wireless link;

receiving from the infrastructure server content utilizing the wireless link;

utilizing the wireless link to format the content based on the formatting information received by the wireless link; and

transmitting the formatted information to the interface client utilizing the wireless link.

10. A system for utilizing a wireless link in an interface roaming network, comprising:

an infrastructure server;

at least one interface client; and

a wireless link having;

logic for scanning a vicinity to detect interface clients in the vicinity of the wireless link;

logic for transmitting to the infrastructure server information relating to the interface clients detected in the vicinity, wherein the infrastructure server selects one of the interface clients based on the transmitted information;

logic for receiving a notification from the infrastructure server of the selected interface client; and

logic for connecting the infrastructure server to the selected interface client for communication therebetween.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless link further includes logic for transmitting an activation notification to the infrastructure server prior to scanning the vicinity to detect interface clients in the vicinity.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the infrastructure server and the selected interface client are connected for communication therebetween via the wireless link.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless link further includes logic for periodically scanning the vicinity link to detect additional interface clients in the vicinity of the wireless link;

and logic for notifying the infrastructure server if an additional interface client is detected in the vicinity of the wireless link.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the wireless link further includes logic for receiving from the infrastructure server a query to whether the user wants to connect to the additional interface client.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the logic for scanning a vicinity to detect one or more interface clients in the vicinity of the wireless link further includes logic for receiving a signal from each interface client in the vicinity.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless link further includes logic for transmitting an initial signal in the vicinity for receipt by interface clients in the vicinity, wherein the signals received by the wireless link from the interface clients in the vicinity of the wireless link are transmitted by the interface clients in response to the initial signal from the wireless link.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the information relating to the interface clients detected in the vicinity includes information relating the capabilities of the detected interface clients.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless link further includes logic for receiving formatting information from the infrastructure server;

logic for receiving from the infrastructure server content;

logic for formatting the content based on the received formatting information; and

logic for transmitting the formatted information to the interface client.

19. A computer program product for utilizing a wireless link in an interface roaming network, comprising:

(a) computer code for scanning a vicinity utilizing a wireless link to detect one or more interface clients in the vicinity of the wireless link;

(b) computer code for transmitting from the wireless link to an infrastructure server information relating to the interface clients detected in the vicinity, wherein the infrastructure server selects one of the interface clients based on the transmitted information;

(c) computer code for receiving a notification from the infrastructure server of the selected interface client utilizing the wireless link; and

(d) computer code for connecting the infrastructure server and the selected interface client for communication therebetween.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer code for receiving formatting information from the infrastructure server utilizing the wireless link;

computer code for receiving from the infrastructure server content utilizing the wireless link;

computer code for utilizing the wireless link to format the content based on the formatting information received by the wireless link; and

computer code for transmitting the formatted information to the interface client utilizing the wireless link.