Using an L2 method to locate and associate with a wireless network in communication with a mobile IP agent
First Claim
1. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that when executed by at least one processor included in a wireless station cause the at least one processor to implement a method operating at a link layer (L2) of a multi-layer network protocol in a wireless station having a wireless network device, the device capable of providing a link-layer (L2) interface to a wireless network, the method comprising:
- prior to the station being associated with a wireless network via the wireless network device, the station wirelessly-receiving L2 data units transmitted from one or more wireless access points of one or more wireless networks that the station can hear; and
the station gathering information about the received L2 data units, including L2 information and L3 information,the L3 information gathered at L2 including whether an access point is sending one or more L3 packets from one or more mobility agents,such that the station may decide whether to associate with a wireless network via an access point based on one or more criteria including whether the access point is in communication with a mobility agent.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer-readable carrier medium in wireless station for wireless network. Encoded in the carrier medium are instructions that when executed carry out a method operating at the link layer (L2) in the wireless station. The method includes, prior to the station being associated with a wireless network, wirelessly receiving L2 frames transmitted from one or more wireless access point of one or more wireless networks that the station can hear. The method further includes gathering information about the received L2 frames, including L2 information and L3 information. The L3 information includes whether an access point is sending an IP packet from a mobility agent, such that the station may associate with a wireless network that is in communication with the mobility agent. The method further includes storing information about the wireless networks that the station can hear in a database. The information stored about each wireless network includes one or more of an identifier of the wireless network, the L3 information in the L2 frame received from the access point of the wireless network, a time stamp of when the L2 frame was received from the access point, and an indication of the signal strength of the L2 frame from the access point.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that when executed by at least one processor included in a wireless station cause the at least one processor to implement a method operating at a link layer (L2) of a multi-layer network protocol in a wireless station having a wireless network device, the device capable of providing a link-layer (L2) interface to a wireless network, the method comprising:
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prior to the station being associated with a wireless network via the wireless network device, the station wirelessly-receiving L2 data units transmitted from one or more wireless access points of one or more wireless networks that the station can hear; and the station gathering information about the received L2 data units, including L2 information and L3 information, the L3 information gathered at L2 including whether an access point is sending one or more L3 packets from one or more mobility agents, such that the station may decide whether to associate with a wireless network via an access point based on one or more criteria including whether the access point is in communication with a mobility agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that when executed by one or more processors in a wireless station cause carrying out a method operating at the link layer (L2) of a multi-layer network protocol, the station registered with a first mobility agent and associated with a first wireless network that is in communication with the first mobility agent, the station having a first wireless network device providing a link-layer (L2) interface to the first wireless network having a wireless network device, the device capable of providing a link-layer (L2) interface to a wireless network, the method comprising:
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determining that a re-association is necessary; selecting for re-associating a wireless network that the station could hear, the selecting according to one or more re-association criteria, at least one of which criteria uses L3 information, the L3 information provided in a stored database of information gathered at the station by an L2 data gathering process; and re-associating with the selected wireless network, wherein the L2 data gathering process includes; wirelessly receiving L2 data units transmitted from one or more wireless access point of one or more wireless networks that the station can hear while the station is not necessarily associated with any wireless network; and examining the received L2 data units. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification