Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating fast transition in a network system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- discovering, by a mobile device, a second access point while communicatively associated with a first access point;
obtaining a first pseudo-random value and a second pseudo-random value, wherein at least one of the first pseudo-random value and the second pseudo-random value is provided by the second access point;
generating a data structure that defines a resource request for a fast transition in a pre-keying process, wherein the first pseudo-random value and the second pseudo-random value are included in the data structure, wherein the resource request relates to whether the second access point has capabilities and resources to support needs of the mobile device;
transmitting the data structure to the second access point in the pre-keying process;
determining, after the pre-keying process is completed, whether to invoke a reassociation procedure based on a first resource response to the data structure, wherein the first resource response indicates whether the second access point has the capabilities and resources to support the needs of the mobile device.
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Abstract
An apparatus, system, computer-readable medium, and method to facilitate quick transition of communications of a mobile station between network stations of a radio communication system, such as a WLAN operable to a variant of an IEEE 802 operating specification, is provided. Implementations of embodiments described herein reduce the transition duration by a pre-keying mechanism that performs authentication procedures prior to commencement of reassociation procedures. In other embodiments, a mobile station is allowed to select whether to perform pre-keying processes over an air interface with a target transition access point or whether to perform the pre-keying processes over a distribution system.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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discovering, by a mobile device, a second access point while communicatively associated with a first access point; obtaining a first pseudo-random value and a second pseudo-random value, wherein at least one of the first pseudo-random value and the second pseudo-random value is provided by the second access point; generating a data structure that defines a resource request for a fast transition in a pre-keying process, wherein the first pseudo-random value and the second pseudo-random value are included in the data structure, wherein the resource request relates to whether the second access point has capabilities and resources to support needs of the mobile device; transmitting the data structure to the second access point in the pre-keying process; determining, after the pre-keying process is completed, whether to invoke a reassociation procedure based on a first resource response to the data structure, wherein the first resource response indicates whether the second access point has the capabilities and resources to support the needs of the mobile device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a second access point, a data structure that defines a resource request for a fast transition in a pre-keying process, wherein a first pseudo-random value and a second pseudo-random value are included in the data structure, wherein at least one of the first pseudo-random value and the second pseudo-random value is provided by the second access point, wherein the resource request relates to whether the second access point has capabilities and resources to support needs of a mobile station; generating a resource response which indicates whether the second access point has the capabilities and resources to support the needs of the mobile station in the pre-keying process; transmitting the resource response to the mobile station; and after the pre-keying process is completed, receiving a reassociation request from the mobile station. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system, the computer-executable instructions for facilitating a fast transition in a network system, comprising:
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instructions to discover a second access point while communicatively associated with a first access point; instructions to obtain a first pseudo-random value and a second pseudo-random value, wherein at least one of the first pseudo-random value and the second pseudo-random value is provided by the second access point; instructions to generate a data structure that defines a resource request for a fast transition in a pre-keying process, wherein the first pseudo-random value and the second pseudo-random value are included in the data structure, wherein the resource request relates to whether the second access point has capabilities and resources to support needs of the mobile device; instructions to generate the data structure to the access point in the pre-keying process; instructions to determine, after the pre-keying process is completed, whether to invoke a reassociation procedure with the access point based on a first resource response to the data structure, wherein the resource response message indicates whether the second access point has the capabilities and resources to support the needs of the mobile device. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system, the computer-executable instructions for facilitating a fast transition in a network system, comprising:
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instructions to receive a data structure that defines a resource request for a fast transition in a pre-keying process, wherein a first pseudo-random value and a second pseudo-random value are included in the data structure, wherein the resource request relates to whether a second access point has capabilities and resources to support needs of a mobile station associated with a first access point, wherein at least one of the first pseudo-random value and second pseudo-random value is provided by the second access point; instructions to generate a resource response, in the pre-keying process, which indicates whether the second access point has the capabilities and resources to support needs of the mobile station; instructions to transmit the resource response to the mobile station; and instructions to receive, after the pre-keying process is completed, a reassociation request from the mobile station. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. An apparatus comprising:
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a transmitter; a receiver; a processor configured to communicate with an access point through the transmitter and the receiver; and a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions for execution by the processor, the computer-executable instructions for facilitating a fast transition in a network system, the processor is configured to discover a second access point while communicatively associated with a first access point, obtain a first pseudo-random value and a second pseudo-random value, wherein at least one of the first pseudo-random value and second pseudo-random value is provided by the second access point, and generate a data structure that defines a resource request for a fast transition in a pre-keying process, wherein the first pseudo-random value and the second pseudo-random value are included in the data structure, wherein the resource request relates to whether the second access point has capabilities and resources to support needs of the apparatus, the transmitter is configured to transmit the data structure to the access point in the pre-keying process, the processor is configured to determine, after the pre-keying process is completed, whether to invoke a reassociation procedure with the second access point based on a first resource response to the data structure, wherein the first resource response indicates whether the second access point has the capabilities and resources to support the needs of the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus comprising:
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a transmitter; a receiver; a processor configured to communicate with a mobile station through the transmitter and the receiver, the processor configured to obtain a first pseudo-random value and a second pseudo-random value; and a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions for execution by the processor, the computer-executable instructions for facilitating a fast transition in a network system, the processor is configured to receive through the receiver a data structure that defines a resource request for a fast transition in a pre-keying process, wherein the data structure includes the first pseudo-random value and the second pseudo-random value, wherein at least one of the first pseudo-random value and second pseudo-random value is provided by the apparatus, wherein the resource request relates to whether the apparatus has capabilities and resources to support needs of the mobile station communicatively associated with a first access point;
generate a resource response which indicates whether the apparatus has the capabilities and resources to support the needs of the mobile station,the transmitter is configured to transmit the resource response to the mobile station in the pre-keying process, and the receiver is configured, after the pre-keying process is completed, to receive a reassociation request from the mobile station. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification