Directed association mechanism in wireless network environments
First Claim
1. An apparatus for use in a wireless network environment and enabling a directed association of wireless clients to one of a plurality of wireless network access devices, comprisinga transmit/receive unit for wireless communication with at least one remote client element,a network interface for communication with devices over a wired computer network, wherein the apparatus is operative to:
- receive an association request from a remote client element, wherein the association request from the remote client element includes a list of one or more wireless network access devices detected by the remote client element during a scan;
compute a set of allowable wireless network access devices with which the remote client element may associate;
transmit an association response to the remote client element, wherein the association response identifies at least one of the wireless network access devices common to both the list of one or more wireless network access devices detected by the remote client element during a scan and the computed set of allowable wireless network access devices; and
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.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatuses and systems enabling a directed association mechanism in wireless computer network environments. In certain embodiments, the directed association functionality described herein can be used in a variety of contexts, such as directing wireless clients to associate with a desired access element or subset of access elements in a wireless network environment. In certain embodiments, the present invention can also be used to increase the efficiency of handing off wireless clients between access elements. The directed association mechanism, in one embodiment, increases the efficiency of establishing wireless connections between wireless clients and access points in a wireless network system.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for use in a wireless network environment and enabling a directed association of wireless clients to one of a plurality of wireless network access devices, comprising
a transmit/receive unit for wireless communication with at least one remote client element, a network interface for communication with devices over a wired computer network, wherein the apparatus is operative to: -
receive an association request from a remote client element, wherein the association request from the remote client element includes a list of one or more wireless network access devices detected by the remote client element during a scan; compute a set of allowable wireless network access devices with which the remote client element may associate; transmit an association response to the remote client element, wherein the association response identifies at least one of the wireless network access devices common to both the list of one or more wireless network access devices detected by the remote client element during a scan and the computed set of allowable wireless network access devices; and 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A wireless network system enabling a directed association mechanism, comprising
a plurality of access elements for wireless communication with at least one remote client element and for communication with a central control element; a central control element for supervising at least one of said access elements, wherein the central control element is operative to manage and control the wireless connections between the access elements and corresponding remote client elements; and wherein the access elements are each operative to; receive an association request from a remote client element, wherein the association request from the remote client element includes a list of one or more wireless network access devices detected by the remote client element during a scan; transmit the association request to a corresponding central control element; receive an association response from the central control element; and transmit the association response to the remote client element; wherein the central control element is operative to; receive, via an access element, an association request from a remote client element; compute a set of allowable access elements with which the remote client element may associate; transmit an association response to the remote client element via an access element, wherein the association response identifies at least one of the access elements common to both the list of one or more wireless network access devices detected by the remote client element during a scan and the computed set of allowable access elements. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. In a wireless network environment comprising a plurality of wireless network access devices for wireless communication with wireless clients, a method enabling a directed association scheme, comprising
receiving an association request from a wireless client, wherein the association request from the wireless client includes a list of one or more wireless network access devices detected by the wireless client during a scan; -
computing a set of allowable wireless network access devices with which the wireless client can associate; identifying one or more common wireless network access devices common to both the set of allowable wireless network access devices and the list of one or more wireless network access devices detected by the wireless client; transmitting an association response to the wireless client, wherein the association response includes one or more wireless network access devices common to both the set of allowable wireless network access devices and the list of one or more wireless network access devices detected by the wireless client. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. In a wireless network environment comprising a plurality of wireless network access devices for wireless communication with wireless clients, a method enabling a directed association scheme, comprising
scanning, at a wireless client, for wireless network access devices in a wireless network environment; -
selecting, at the wireless client, a wireless network access device identified in the scanning step; transmitting, from the wireless client, an association request to the selected wireless network access device; receiving, at the wireless client, an association response from the selected wireless network access device, wherein the association response denies the association request and identifies at least one allowable wireless network access device; and transmitting, from the wireless client, an association request to one of the at least one allowable wireless network access device. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification