Hardware control interface for IEEE standard 802.11 including transmission control interface component

• US 8,819,294 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2010
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ruan, Jiandong, Kuehnel, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Oanh
• Application Number:
  US12/753,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20100218198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709/250, 719/321, 719/327
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A standardized 802.11 hardware control interface may be provided such that a driver may communicate with any one or more of a variety of network adapters.

Claims

1. A method performed on a computing device, the method comprising exchanging information via a hardware control interface between a wireless network adapter and a driver module of the wireless network adapter, where the hardware control interface was developed by a first developer entity that is independent of a second developer entity that developed the driver module, where the hardware control interface is configured for exchanging information between a variety of different wireless network adapters of different types and their respective driver modules, where the variety of different wireless network adapters includes the wireless network adapter, and where the respective driver modules include the driver module.

2. The method of claim 1 where the hardware control interface is configured for supporting at least a portion of a wireless communication standard.

3. The method of claim 1 where the hardware control interface comprises:

a transmission control interface;

a transmission status interface;

a reception control interface; and

a channel switching interface.

4. The method of claim 1 where the hardware control interface is further configured for providing beacon transmission control information to the wireless network adapter.

5. The computer of claim 4 where the driver module is configured for controlling the network adapter according to at least a portion of a wireless communication standard.

6. The method of claim 5 where the wireless communication standard comprises at least one 802.11 standard.

7. The method of claim 1 where the hardware control interface is implemented as software.

8. At least one computer memory device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform actions comprising exchanging information via a hardware control interface between a wireless network adapter and a driver module of the wireless network adapter, where the hardware control interface was developed by a first developer entity that is independent of second developer entity that that developed the driver module, where the hardware control interface is configured for exchanging information between a variety of different wireless network adapters of different types and their respective driver modules, where the variety of different wireless network adapters includes the wireless network adapter, and where the respective driver modules include the driver module.

9. The at least one computer memory device of claim 8 where the hardware control interface is configured for supporting at least a portion of a wireless communication standard.

10. The at least one computer memory device of claim 8 where the hardware control interface comprises:

a transmission control interface;

a transmission status interface;

a reception control interface; and

a channel switching interface.

11. The at least one computer memory device of claim 8 where the driver module comprises the hardware control interface.

12. The at least one computer memory device of claim 11 where the driver module is configured for controlling the network adapter according to at least a portion of a wireless communication standard.

13. The at least one computer memory device of claim 12 where the wireless communication standard comprises at least one 802.11 standard.

14. The at least one computer memory device of claim 8 where the hardware control interface is implemented as software.

15. A system comprising a computing device and at least one program module together configured for performing actions comprising exchanging information via a hardware control interface between a wireless network adapter and a driver module of the wireless network adapter, where the hardware control interface was developed by a first developer entity that is independent of second developer entity that that developed the driver module, where the hardware control interface is configured for exchanging information between a variety of different wireless network adapters of different types and their respective driver modules, where the variety of different wireless network adapters includes the wireless network adapter, and where the respective driver modules include the driver module.

16. The system of claim 15 where the hardware control interface is configured for supporting at least a portion of a wireless communication standard.

17. The system of claim 15 where the hardware control interface comprises:

a transmission control interface;

a transmission status interface;

a reception control interface; and

a channel switching interface.

18. The system of claim 15 where the driver module comprises the hardware control interface.

19. The system of claim 18 where the driver module is configured for controlling the network adapter according to at least a portion of a wireless communication standard.

20. The system of claim 19 where the wireless communication standard comprises at least one 802.11 standard.