Apparatus and method for wireless local area networks of different countries

• US 7,260,395 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Singh, Gurpreet, Hughes, John K.
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAMER, TEMICA M
• Application Number:
  US09/702,215
• Time in Patent Office: 2,486 Days
• Field of Search: 455/434, 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/432.3, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/432.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/908 Local area network

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for adapting a mobile unit to communication requirements of a particular country or geographic region. A wireless local area network communications system may include access points and remote terminals. Remote terminals may use country-specific information in messages from an access point to adapt to the communications requirements of the country in which the access point is operating. The country-specific information may be in a broadcast transmission or a message sent in reply to a remote terminal probe message. The country-specific information may include operating requirements such as channel information, power information, country name, modulation information, etc.

Claims

1. A universal remote terminal for use in wireless local area networks in a plurality of countries, each country having particular communications specifications for operating wireless local area networks in that country, the terminal comprising circuitry configured to:

scan to find a communications channel carrying a communication for a nearby wireless local area network;

send a probe communications message on the communication channel in response to finding the communications channel when scanning;

receive a reply communications message comprising country-specific information from a transmitter in a particular country that was sent in reply to the probe communications message; and

adapt to that country'"'"'s communications specifications to suitably operate in wireless local area networks in that country in response to receiving the country-specific information.

2. The universal remote terminal of claim 1 wherein the remote terminal is mobile and handheld, and the remote terminal comprises wireless-network-interface resources comprising the circuitry.

3. The universal remote terminal of claim 1 wherein the remote terminal is a desktop personal computer having wireless-network-interface resources comprising the circuitry.

4. The universal remote terminal of claim 1 wherein the circuitry that is configured to scan is configured to scan frequencies for a broadcast transmission.

5. The universal remote terminal of claim 4 wherein the circuitry that is configured to scan is configured to scan for the broadcast transmission when the terminal seeks to associate with a new access point.

6. The universal remote terminal of claim 1 for use in wireless local area networks in which an access point comprises the transmitter, wherein:

the circuitry that is configured to scan is configured to scan a plurality of channels to receive a broadcast transmission when seeking to associate with a new access point;

the circuitry is configured to receive the broadcast transmission on one of the channels; and

the circuitry that is configured to send the probe communications message is configured to send the probe communications message requesting country-specific information on the one channel in response to receiving the broadcast transmission.

7. The universal remote terminal of claim 6 wherein the circuitry is configured to scan channels on which the terminal is operable.

8. The universal remote terminal of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is configured to include a database of communications specifications for a plurality of countries.

9. The universal remote terminal of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the reply communications message comprising country-specific information on that country'"'"'s communications specification from the transmitter.

10. The universal remote terminal of claim 9 wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the reply communications message comprising country-specific information comprising a particular set of frequency channels on which wireless local area networks in that country are to operate.

11. The universal remote terminal of claim 9 wherein the circuitry is configured to:

be operable on a plurality of channels; and

receive country-specific information on a particular subset of the plurality of channels on which wireless local area networks in that country are to operate.

12. The universal remote terminal of claim 1 wherein the remote terminal uses spread spectrum communications and the circuitry that is configured to receive is configured to receive country-specific information on variable parameters in spread spectrum communications in the reply communications message.

13. The universal remote terminal of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is configured to receive country-specific information on that country'"'"'s name in the communications message.

14. A method for use in a remote terminal for use in wireless local area networks in a plurality of countries, each country having particular communications specifications for operating of wireless local area networks in that country, the method comprising:

scanning to find a communications channel carrying a communication for a nearby wireless local area network;

sending a probe communications message on the communication channel in response to finding the communications channel when scanning;

receiving a reply communications message comprising country-specific information that was sent by a transmitter in a particular country in reply to the probe communications message; and

adapting to that country'"'"'s communications specifications to suitably operate in that country in response to receiving the country-specific information.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said receiving comprises receiving the communications message at a mobile handheld remote terminal and said adapting comprises adapting at the mobile handheld remote terminal.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving comprises receiving the communications message of the remote terminal where the remote terminal is a desktop personal computer and said adapting comprises adapting of the desktop personal computer.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said scanning comprises scanning for a broadcast transmission.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said scanning comprises scanning for the communication that is from an access point when the remote terminal seeks to associate with a new access point.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein:

said scanning comprises scanning to receive a broadcast transmission from an access point when seeking to associate with a new access point; and

said sending comprises sending a probe message requesting country-specific information in response to receiving the broadcast transmission.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein:

said scanning comprises scanning a plurality of channels to receive the broadcast transmission on one of the channels; and

said sending comprises sending the probe message on the one channel on which the broadcast transmission was received.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising including a database of communications specifications for a plurality of countries at the remote terminal.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein said receiving comprises receiving country-specific information on that country'"'"'s communications specification from the transmitter.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said receiving comprises receiving country-specific information comprising information on a particular set of frequency channels on which wireless local area networks in that country are to operate.

24. The method of claim 22 comprising:

using a plurality of channels to communicate in different countries; and

said receiving comprises receiving country-specific information on a particular subset of the plurality of channels on which wireless local area networks in that country are to operate.

25. The method of claim 14 wherein said receiving comprises receiving country-specific information on variable parameters in spread spectrum communications in the reply communications message.

26. The method of claim 14 wherein said receiving comprises receiving country-specific information on that country'"'"'s name in the communications message.

27. A system for use in a plurality of countries, each country having particular communications specifications for operating wireless local area networks in that country, comprising:

an access point that is operating in a particular country; and

a remote terminal comprising circuitry configured to;

scan to find a communications channel carrying a communication for a nearby wireless local area network;

send a probe communications message on the communication channel in response to finding the communications channel when scanning;

receive a reply communications message comprising country-specific information that was sent by the access point in reply to the probe communications message; and

responsive to receiving the country-specific information, adapt to that country'"'"'s communications specifications to suitably operate in that country.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the remote terminal is mobile and handheld, and the remote terminal comprises wireless-network-interface resources comprising the circuitry.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the remote terminal is a desktop personal computer having wireless-network-interface resources comprising the circuitry.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein the circuitry that is configured to scan is configured to scan frequencies for a broadcast transmission comprising the communications message.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the circuitry that is configured to scan is configured to scan for the broadcast transmission when the terminal seeks to associate with a new access point.

32. The system of claim 27 wherein:

the circuitry that is configured to scan is configured to scan to receive a broadcast transmission to receive when seeking to associate with a new access point; and

the circuitry that is configured to send is configured to send the probe communications message requesting country-specific information in response to a received broadcast transmission.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein:

the circuitry that is configured to scan is configured to scan a plurality of channels to receive the broadcast transmission on one of the channels; and

the circuitry that is configured to send is configured to send the probe communications message on the one channel on which the broadcast transmission was received.

34. The system of claim 27 wherein the circuitry is configured to include a database of communications specifications for a plurality of countries.

35. The system of claim 27 wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the reply communications message comprising country-specific information on that country'"'"'s communications specification from the access point.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the reply communications message comprising country-specific information on a particular set of frequency channels on which wireless local area networks in that country are to operate.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein:

the circuitry is configured to use a plurality of channels; and

the circuitry that is configured to receive is configured to receive country-specific information on a particular subset of the plurality of channels on which wireless local area networks in that country are to operate.

38. The system of claim 27 wherein the remote terminal uses spread spectrum communications and the circuitry that is configured to receive is configured to receive country-specific information on variable parameters of spread spectrum communications in the reply communications message.

39. The system of claim 27 wherein the circuitry that is configured to receive is configured to receive country-specific information on that country'"'"'s name in the communications message.

40. A method of specifying a regulatory assigned subset of channels from a plurality of frequency channels on which communications between a stationary access point and a mobile terminal can be implemented in a wireless local area network, comprising:

activating the mobile terminal to periodically listen on each of said frequency channels;

sending a broadcast transmission from the access point on one of said frequency channels;

sending a response from the mobile terminal on the one frequency channel to the access point in response to the mobile terminal receiving the broadcast transmission;

transmitting information related to the subset of frequency channels from the access point to the mobile terminal; and

storing the information related to the subset of frequency channels in memory in the mobile terminal to define on which frequency channels the mobile terminal is to operate.

41. The method of claim 40 for use in a wireless local area network that uses spread spectrum communications wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting information related to parameters for spread spectrum communications.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting information on country name to the mobile terminal.

43. The method of claim 40 further comprising using a database to define on which frequency channels the mobile terminal is to operate based on the stored information.