Caching network discovery responses in wireless networks
First Claim
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1. A method for communicating in a wireless network comprising:
- transmitting, prior to network association, a request to a first wireless network for pre-association information about the first wireless network, wherein the request comprises an access network query protocol (“
ANQP”
) message;
receiving, prior to network association, a response from the first wireless network, including the pre-association information, wherein the response comprises an ANQP message;
storing the ANQP message response in a cache; and
indexing the cached ANQP message response for future associations with the first wireless network.
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Abstract
Network information may be discoverable without requiring a connection to that network. For example, Access Network Query Protocol (“ANQP”) may allow a device to discover information about a network prior to the device associating with that network. The network discovery information may be stored in a cache memory for future associations with the same network.
94 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for communicating in a wireless network comprising:
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transmitting, prior to network association, a request to a first wireless network for pre-association information about the first wireless network, wherein the request comprises an access network query protocol (“
ANQP”
) message;receiving, prior to network association, a response from the first wireless network, including the pre-association information, wherein the response comprises an ANQP message; storing the ANQP message response in a cache; and indexing the cached ANQP message response for future associations with the first wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for accessing information about wireless networks comprising:
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identifying a wireless network within a range; checking, prior to network association, for network discovery information about the wireless network stored in a cache, wherein the network discovery information comprises an identifier for the wireless network that comprises at least one of an access network identifier, an access network query protocol (“
ANQP”
) identifier, or an access point identifier;retrieving, prior to network association, the network discovery information from the cache when the network discovery information is stored in the cache, wherein the identifier is used to associate with the wireless network; and requesting, prior to network association, the network discovery information from the wireless network when the network discovery information is not stored in the cache, wherein the identifier is provided in response to the requesting for storage in the cache. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A device comprising:
a processor configured to; determine, prior to network association, when the device is in range of a first wireless network; check, prior to network association, a cache memory for access network query protocol (“
ANQP”
) network discovery information about the first wireless network, wherein the ANQP network discovery information comprises ANQP response messages;access, prior to network association, the ANQP network discovery information about the first wireless network when that ANQP network discovery information is stored in the cache memory; and request, with an access network query protocol (“
ANQP”
) message prior to network association, the ANQP network discovery information about the first wireless network when that ANQP network discovery information is not stored in the cache memory.- View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
Specification