System and method for accessing a wireless network

• US 7,822,412 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lagnado, Isaac
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller; Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US10/829,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,379 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.2, 455/410, 455/435.1, 455/434, 455/422.1, 455/41.2, 455/574, 455/343.2, 370/338, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for accessing a wireless network comprises detecting at least one wireless network within which a wireless device is located while the wireless device in a transmit off mode. The method also comprises determining whether the at least one wireless network is on a list of requested wireless networks.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a wireless network, comprising:

detecting at least one wireless network within which a wireless device is located while the wireless device in a transmit off mode; and

determining whether the at least one wireless network is on a list of requested wireless networks;

in response to a determination that the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks, switching the wireless device from the transmit off mode to a transmit on mode; and

determining whether the at least one wireless network is a wireless network whose identifier is unknown.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises receiving at least one beacon frame from the at least one wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching the wireless device to a transmit on mode and transmitting an access request to the at least one wireless network in response to determining that the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a scan list of wireless networks within which the wireless device is located.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the scan list comprises an identifier of the at least one wireless network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the scan list comprises an identifier having a service set identifier (SSID).

7. The method of claim 4, the scan list comprising a set of attributes of the at least one wireless network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises comparing a set of attributes of a scan list associated with the at least one wireless network with a set of attributes in the list of requested wireless networks.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks comprises comparing a scan list associated with the list of requested wireless networks.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching the wireless device to a transmit on mode to identify the unknown wireless network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting at least one probe request frame to identify the unknown wireless network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a probe response frame from the unknown wireless network, the probe response frame having an identifier for identifying the unknown wireless network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises detecting at least one wireless local area network within which the wireless device is located.

14. A method for accessing a wireless network, comprising:

automatically switching a wireless device to a transmit off mode in response to activation of the wireless device;

detecting at least one wireless network within which said wireless device is located while the wireless device is in the transmit off mode;

determining whether the at least one wireless network is on a list of requested wireless networks; and

in response to a determination that the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks, switching the wireless device from the transmit off mode to a transmit on mode.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining whether the at least one wireless network is a wireless network whose identifier is unknown.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting comprises receiving at least one beacon frame from the at least one wireless network.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising creating a scan list of wireless networks within which the wireless device is located.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising comparing a list of requested wireless networks with a scan list of wireless networks within which the wireless device is located.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting comprises detecting at least one wireless local area network within which said wireless device is located.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

switching the wireless device to a transmit on mode in response to determining that the at least one wireless network is a wireless network whose identifier is unknown; and

transmitting a probe request frame to the at least one wireless network to identify the at least one wireless network.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising requesting access to the at least one wireless network in response to determining that the at least one wireless network is on a list of requested wireless networks.

22. A system for accessing a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless device; and

application logic operatively associated with the wireless device and adapted to;

switch the wireless device to a transmit off mode;

detect at least one wireless network within which the wireless device is located while in the transmit off mode;

determine whether the at least one wireless network is on a predetermined list of requested wireless networks;

in response to a determination that the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks, switching the wireless device from the transmit off mode to a transmit on mode; and

switch the wireless device to a transmit on mode and transmit a probe request frame in response to determining that the at least one wireless network is a wireless network whose identifier is unknown.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the application logic is adapted to determine whether the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the application logic is adapted to switch the wireless device to the transmit on mode and transmit an access request to the at least one wireless network in response to determining that the at least one wireless network is on a list of requested wireless networks.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the application logic is adapted to receive at least one beacon frame from the at least one wireless network.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the application logic is adapted to create a scan list of wireless networks within which the wireless device is located.

27. The system of claim 26, the scan list comprising a set of attributes of the at least one wireless network.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the application logic is adapted to compare a scan list associated with a list of requested wireless networks to a scan list associated with the at least one wireless network to determine whether the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the application logic is adapted to determine whether the at least one wireless network is a wireless network whose identifier is unknown.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the application logic is adapted to detect at least one wireless local area network within which the wireless device is located while in the transmit off mode.

31. A system for accessing a wireless network, comprising:

means for switching a wireless device to a transmit off mode;

means for detecting at least one wireless network within which the wireless device is located while in the transmit off mode;

means for determining whether the at least one wireless network is on a predetermined list of requested wireless networks;

means for, in response to a determination that the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks, switching the wireless device from the transmit off mode to a transmit on mode; and

means for switching the wireless device to a transmit on mode and transmitting a probe request frame in response to determining that the at least one wireless network is a wireless network whose identifier is unknown.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising means for determining whether the at least one wireless network is on a list of requested wireless networks.

33. The system of claim 31, further comprising means for creating a scan list of wireless networks within which the wireless device is located.

34. A system for accessing a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless device; and

application logic operatively associated with the wireless device, the application logic adapted to selectively switch the wireless device between a transmit on mode and a transmit off mode based on an identification of at least one wireless network, the application further configured to determine whether the at least one wireless network is on a list of requested wireless networks, the application logic further configured to, in response to a determination that the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks, switch the wireless device from the transmit off mode to the transmit on mode.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one wireless network comprises an wireless local area network.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one wireless network comprises an infrastructure wireless network.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one wireless network comprises an ad-hoc wireless network.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the application logic is adapted to switch the wireless device to the transmit on mode if the at least one wireless network corresponds to a list of requested wireless networks.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein the application logic is adapted to create a scan list of wireless networks within which the wireless device is located.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the application logic is adapted to switch the wireless device to the transmit on mode if at least one of the scan list wireless networks corresponds to a list of requested wireless networks.

41. The system of claim 34, wherein the application logic is adapted to switch the wireless device to the transmit on mode to transmit a probe request frame to identify at least one wireless network having an unknown identifier.

42. The system of claim 34, wherein the application logic is adapted to automatically switch the wireless device to the transmit off mode upon activation of the wireless device.

43. The system of claim 34, wherein the application logic is adapted to switch the wireless device to the transmit on mode to transmit an access request to an identified wireless network.

44. A method for accessing a wireless network, comprising:

automatically detecting at least one wireless network within which a wireless device is located while the wireless device is on and in a transmit off mode;

determining whether the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks;

in response to a determination that the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks, switching the wireless device from the transmit off mode to a transmit on mode; and

determining whether the at least one wireless network is a wireless network whose identifier is unknown.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising automatically switching the wireless device to a transmit on mode in response to identifying the at least one wireless network.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising creating a scan list of wireless networks within which the wireless device is located.

47. A system for accessing a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless device; and

application logic operatively associated with the wireless device and adapted to automatically detect at least one wireless network within which the wireless device is located while the wireless device is on and in a transmit off mode, the application logic further configured to determine whether the at least one wireless network is on a list of requested wireless networks, the application logic further configured to, in response to a determination that the at least one wireless network is on the list of requested wireless networks, switch the wireless device from the transmit off mode to a transmit on mode; and

automatically switch the wireless device to a transmit on mode in response to identifying the at least one wireless network.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the application logic is adapted to automatically determine whether the at least one wireless network is on a list of requested wireless networks.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein the application logic is adapted to create a scan list of wireless networks within which the wireless device is located.