Distributed network communication system which selectively provides data to different network destinations
First Claim
1. A method for operating a network system, the method comprising:
- receiving, at an access point coupled to a network, identification information from a portable computing device, wherein the identification information indicates a network destination of a plurality of possible network destinations, the access point configured to provide access to the plurality of possible network destinations, wherein the access point includes a memory medium which stores a data structure comprising a list of identification information entries each indicating at least one network destination of the plurality of possible network destinations;
wherein at least a subset of the identification information entries each indicate one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs);
wherein each virtual local area network (VLAN) specifies a network destination;
determining the network destination from the plurality of possible network destinations according to the identification information after receiving the identification information, wherein said determining the network destination includes accessing the memory medium and using the received identification information to determine the network destination;
receiving, at the access point, data communications from the portable computing device; and
routing the data communications from the portable computing device through the network destination;
wherein said routing the data communications from the portable computing device to the network destination comprises using a VLAN specified by the identification information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing access and/or roaming features on a network system. The network system includes a plurality of wireless and/or wired access points coupled to a network. The network may couple to a wide area network, such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a portable computing device (PCD) of a user may store identification information which uniquely indicates a network destination of a plurality of possible network destinations. Each of the access points are operable to “listen for” or detect identification information associated with numerous different destinations. When the access point receives the identification information from a PCD of a user, the access point may determine the appropriate network destination for the portable computing device using the identification information. Data communications received from the portable compute device may then be routed through the identified network destination.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for operating a network system, the method comprising:
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receiving, at an access point coupled to a network, identification information from a portable computing device, wherein the identification information indicates a network destination of a plurality of possible network destinations, the access point configured to provide access to the plurality of possible network destinations, wherein the access point includes a memory medium which stores a data structure comprising a list of identification information entries each indicating at least one network destination of the plurality of possible network destinations;
wherein at least a subset of the identification information entries each indicate one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs);
wherein each virtual local area network (VLAN) specifies a network destination;determining the network destination from the plurality of possible network destinations according to the identification information after receiving the identification information, wherein said determining the network destination includes accessing the memory medium and using the received identification information to determine the network destination; receiving, at the access point, data communications from the portable computing device; and routing the data communications from the portable computing device through the network destination;
wherein said routing the data communications from the portable computing device to the network destination comprises using a VLAN specified by the identification information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A network system, comprising:
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a network; a plurality of access points coupled to the network; wherein an access point of the plurality of access points comprises a processor a memory medium coupled to the memory processor; wherein the memory medium stores a data structure comprising a list of identification information entries each indicating at least one network destination of a plurality of possible network destinations, wherein at least a subset of the identification information entries each indicate one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs), the access point configured to provide access to the plurality of possible network destinations; wherein the memory medium comprises program instructions which are executable by the processor to; receive identification information from a portable computing device; determine a network destination from the plurality of possible network destinations based on the identification information; receive data communications from the portable computing device; and route the data communications from the portable computing device through the determined network destination. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A network system, comprising:
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a network, wherein the network is operable to use one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs); a plurality of access points coupled to the network, wherein each of the plurality of access points is operable to communicate with a portable computing device using wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11), wherein each of the plurality of access points is configured to receive an IEEE 802.11 system identification from the portable computing device, wherein the IEEE 802.11 system identification indicates a network destination of a plurality of possible network destinations, wherein each of the plurality of access points is configured to provide access to the plurality of possible network destinations, wherein each of the plurality of access points includes a memory medium which stores a data structure, wherein the data structure comprises a list of IEEE 802.11 system identification information entries and corresponding network destinations, wherein each entry indicates a respective network destination of the plurality of possible network destinations, wherein at least a subset of the IEEE 802.11 system identification information entries each indicate one or more VLANs; wherein each of the plurality of access points is operable to determine the network destination indicated by the IEEE 802.11 system identification from the plurality of possible network destinations; wherein, in said determining the network destination, each of the plurality of access points is operable to access the memory medium and use the received IEEE 802.11 identification information to determine the network destination; wherein each of the plurality of access points is operable to route data communications from the portable computing device through the network destination indicated by the IEEE 802.11 system identification. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A network system, comprising:
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a network, wherein the network is operable to support one or more virtual local area network (VLAN) tags, wherein the network is further operable to provide data associated with a VLAN tag of the one or more VLAN tags to a network destination; a memory medium coupled to the network which stores a data structure comprising a list of wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11) system identification information entries and a corresponding list of VLAN tags, wherein each VLAN tag specifies a network destination; at least one access point coupled to the network, wherein the at least one access point is operable to communicate with a portable computing device using wireless Ethernet, wherein the at least one access point is further operable to receive IEEE 802.11 system identification information from the portable computing device; wherein the at least one access point is further operable to access the memory medium and determine a VLAN tag corresponding to the IEEE 802.11 system identification information received from the portable computing device; wherein the at least one access point is further operable to receive data communications from the portable computing device and provide the data communications to the network using the determined VLAN tag, wherein, in said providing the data communications to the network using the determined VLAN tag, comprises associating the data communications received from the portable computing device with the determined VLAN tag. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. An access point, comprising:
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a processor; a memory medium coupled to the processor; wherein the access point is operable to be coupled to a network; wherein the memory medium comprises a data structure comprising a list of IEEE 802.11 system identification information entries and a corresponding list of virtual local area network (VLAN) identifications; wherein the memory medium further comprises program instructions executable by the processor to; receive IEEE 802.11 system identification information and data communications from a portable computing device; determine a VLAN identification corresponding to the IEEE 802.11 system identification information received from the portable computing device; and provide the VLAN identification corresponding to the IEEE 802.11 system identification information received from the portable computing device and the data communications from the portable computing device to the network. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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Specification