Wireless network infrastructure including wireless discovery and communication mechanism
First Claim
1. A wireless network system, comprising a plurality of access elements for communication with at least one remote client element and for communication with a central control element;
- a first central control element supervising at least one of said access elements, wherein the first central control element manages and controls the wireless connections between the access elements and corresponding remote client elements; and
a second central control element supervising at least one other of said access elements;
wherein each access element is configured to;
transmit wireless neighbor messages, wherein the wireless neighbor messages identify a network address of a central control element supervising the access element;
receive wireless neighbor messages from neighboring access elements, wherein the received wireless neighbor messages identify network addresses of respective central control elements supervising the neighboring access elements;
provide received wireless neighbor messages to a supervising central control element associated with the access element; and
wherein the first and second central control elements are each configured to establish respective tunnels over a computer network with access elements for transmission of wireless traffic, associated with corresponding remote client elements with encapsulation headers;
bridge network traffic between the computer network and a remote client element through a tunnel with a corresponding access element;
perform data link layer management functions on wireless traffic corresponding to the remote client elements; and
discover each other'"'"'s respective network address by processing the wireless neighbor messages received from associated access elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless discovery and communication mechanism to facilitate configuration, management and performance tasks associated with wireless network environments. In certain embodiments, access elements transmit and receive neighbor messages on a periodic basis to neighboring access elements. The neighbor messages can include configuration and/or protocol information to allow the access elements or associated devices to discover each other over the air. The present invention can be applied to a variety of wireless network architectures, such as a plurality of distributed, substantially autonomous access points, or to a hierarchical wireless network system comprising central control elements, each supervising and controlling one or more access elements as described more fully below.
58 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A wireless network system, comprising a plurality of access elements for communication with at least one remote client element and for communication with a central control element;
- a first central control element supervising at least one of said access elements, wherein the first central control element manages and controls the wireless connections between the access elements and corresponding remote client elements; and
a second central control element supervising at least one other of said access elements;
wherein each access element is configured to;
transmit wireless neighbor messages, wherein the wireless neighbor messages identify a network address of a central control element supervising the access element;
receive wireless neighbor messages from neighboring access elements, wherein the received wireless neighbor messages identify network addresses of respective central control elements supervising the neighboring access elements;
provide received wireless neighbor messages to a supervising central control element associated with the access element; and
wherein the first and second central control elements are each configured to establish respective tunnels over a computer network with access elements for transmission of wireless traffic, associated with corresponding remote client elements with encapsulation headers;
bridge network traffic between the computer network and a remote client element through a tunnel with a corresponding access element;
perform data link layer management functions on wireless traffic corresponding to the remote client elements; and
discover each other'"'"'s respective network address by processing the wireless neighbor messages received from associated access elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- a first central control element supervising at least one of said access elements, wherein the first central control element manages and controls the wireless connections between the access elements and corresponding remote client elements; and
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23. An apparatus for use in a wireless network environment,
Comprising A transmit/receive unit communicating wireless communication with at least one remote client element, a network interface for communicating with a central control element, Wherein the apparatus is configured to: -
Establish and maintain;
in an access point mode, wireless connections with remote client elements to bridge wireless traffic between the remote client elements and the computer network;Acknowledge wireless frames transmitted by the remote client elements;
transmit the received wireless frames with encapsulating headers to the central control element for processing;Transmit beacon frames at regular intervals;
switch to a neighbor message mode at periodic intervals to transmit wireless neighbor messages, wherein the wireless neighbor messages, wherein the wireless neighbor messages are scheduled for transmission after respective beacon frames, wherein the wireless neighbor messages each identify a network address of the central control element, receive wireless neighbor messages from neighboring wireless access devices, process received wireless neighbor messages; and
encapsulate the received wireless neighbor messages with tunnel headers and transmit the encapsulated wireless neighbor messages to a central control element. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification