Smart wireless station for identifying a preferred access point
First Claim
1. A method of connecting a wireless station to a wireless network, comprising:
- prior to associating to a preferred access point from among a plurality of wireless access points, receiving a pre-connection management signal from each of the plurality of wireless access points, wherein;
each of the wireless access points connects an upstream network that is upstream of the access point to a downstream wireless network that is downstream of the access point, andeach of the pre-connection management signals conveys information regarding services available from the upstream network that connects to the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal;
from each of the received pre-connection management signals, retrieving characteristics of the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal, wherein;
the characteristics comprise information regarding an availability status of an internet connection of the upstream network that connects to the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal;
for each wireless access point for which the characteristics have been retrieved, evaluating the characteristics of the wireless access point, wherein the evaluating includes;
comparing each of the characteristics of each wireless access point to a stored criticality rating for each characteristic;
comparing the wireless access points that have the characteristic with the highest criticality rating;
among the wireless access points that have the characteristic with the highest criticality rating, comparing those wireless access points that have the characteristic with the next lower criticality rating; and
continuing the previous comparing for each lower criticality rating; and
based on the evaluation of the characteristics of the wireless access points for which the characteristics have been retrieved, identifying the preferred access point from the plurality of wireless access points, wherein the preferred access point is among the wireless access points that have been compared from highest criticality rating to lowest criticality rating.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for connecting a wireless station to a wireless network are provided. The method may include: receiving a pre-connection management signal from each of a plurality of wireless access points, each of the access points connecting an upstream network to a downstream wireless network; retrieving from each of the management signals characteristics of the access point corresponding to the management signal, the characteristics of the access point comprising information regarding the upstream network associated with the respective access point; analyzing the characteristics of the access point for each of the management signals; and based on the analysis of the characteristics of the access points, identifying a preferred access point from the plurality of access points.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of connecting a wireless station to a wireless network, comprising:
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prior to associating to a preferred access point from among a plurality of wireless access points, receiving a pre-connection management signal from each of the plurality of wireless access points, wherein; each of the wireless access points connects an upstream network that is upstream of the access point to a downstream wireless network that is downstream of the access point, and each of the pre-connection management signals conveys information regarding services available from the upstream network that connects to the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal; from each of the received pre-connection management signals, retrieving characteristics of the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal, wherein; the characteristics comprise information regarding an availability status of an internet connection of the upstream network that connects to the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal; for each wireless access point for which the characteristics have been retrieved, evaluating the characteristics of the wireless access point, wherein the evaluating includes; comparing each of the characteristics of each wireless access point to a stored criticality rating for each characteristic; comparing the wireless access points that have the characteristic with the highest criticality rating; among the wireless access points that have the characteristic with the highest criticality rating, comparing those wireless access points that have the characteristic with the next lower criticality rating; and continuing the previous comparing for each lower criticality rating; and based on the evaluation of the characteristics of the wireless access points for which the characteristics have been retrieved, identifying the preferred access point from the plurality of wireless access points, wherein the preferred access point is among the wireless access points that have been compared from highest criticality rating to lowest criticality rating. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A wireless station, comprising:
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an interface for wireless connection with a wireless access point; and control logic configured to; prior to associating to a preferred access point from among a plurality of wireless access points, receive a pre-connection management signal from each of the plurality of wireless access points, wherein; each of the wireless access points connects an upstream network that is upstream of the access point to a downstream wireless network that is downstream of the access point, and each of the pre-connection management signals conveys information regarding services available from the upstream network that connects to the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal; from each of the received pre-connection management signals, retrieve characteristics of the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal, wherein; the characteristics comprise information regarding an availability status of an internet connection of the upstream network that connects to the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal; for each wireless access point for which the characteristics have been retrieved, evaluating the characteristics of the wireless access point, wherein the evaluating includes; comparing each of the characteristics of each wireless access point to a stored criticality rating for each characteristic; comparing the wireless access points that have the characteristic with the highest criticality rating; among the wireless access points that have the characteristic with the highest criticality rating, comparing those wireless access points that have the characteristic with the next lower criticality rating; and continuing the previous comparing for each lower criticality rating; and based on the evaluation of the characteristics of the wireless access points for which the characteristics have been retrieved, identify the preferred access point from the plurality of wireless access points, wherein the preferred access point is among the wireless access points that have been compared from highest criticality rating to lowest criticality rating. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A wireless station, comprising:
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an interface for wireless connection with a wireless access point; and means for receiving, prior to associating to a preferred access point from among a plurality of wireless access points, a pre-connection management signal from each of the plurality of wireless access points, wherein; each of the wireless access points connects an upstream network upstream of the access point to a downstream wireless network downstream of the access point, and each of the pre-connection management signals conveys information regarding services available from the upstream network that connects to the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal; means for retrieving characteristics, from each of the received pre-connection management signals, of the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal, wherein; the characteristics comprise information regarding an availability status of an internet connection of the upstream network that connects to the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal; means for evaluating the characteristics of the wireless access point for each wireless access point for which the characteristics have been retrieved, wherein the means for evaluating includes means for; comparing each of the characteristics of each wireless access point to a stored criticality rating for each characteristic; comparing the wireless access points that have the characteristic with the highest criticality rating; among the wireless access points that have the characteristic with the highest criticality rating, comparing those wireless access points that have the characteristic with the next lower criticality rating; and continuing the previous comparing for each lower criticality rating; and means for identifying the preferred access point from the plurality of wireless access points based on the evaluation of the characteristics of the wireless access points for which the characteristics have been retrieved, wherein the preferred access point is among the wireless access points that have been compared from highest criticality to lowest criticality rating.
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20. A method of connecting a wireless station to a wireless network, comprising:
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prior to associating to a preferred access point from among a plurality of wireless access points, receiving a pre-connection management signal from each of the plurality of wireless access points, wherein; each of the wireless access points connects an upstream network that is upstream of the access point to a downstream wireless network that is downstream of the access point, and each of the pre-connection management signals conveys information regarding services available from the upstream network that connects to the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal; from each of the received pre-connection management signals, retrieving characteristics of the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal, wherein; the characteristics comprise information regarding an availability status of a DHCP support capability of the upstream network that connects to the wireless access point corresponding to the pre-connection management signal; for each wireless access point for which the characteristics have been retrieved, evaluating the characteristics of the wireless access point, wherein the evaluating includes; comparing each of the characteristics of each wireless access point to a stored criticality rating for each characteristic; comparing the wireless access points that have the characteristic with the highest criticality rating; among the wireless access points that have the characteristic with the highest criticality rating, comparing those wireless access points that have the characteristic with the next lower criticality rating; and continuing the previous step for each lower criticality rating; and based on the evaluation of the characteristics of the wireless access points for which the characteristics have been retrieved, identifying the preferred access point from the plurality of wireless access points, wherein the preferred access point is among the wireless access points that have been compared from highest criticality rating to lowest criticality rating.
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Specification