Methods and apparatus for controlling a wireless station

• US 9,001,694 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ruckus IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Emeott, Stephen P., Aftelak, Andrew J., Braskich, Anthony J., Smith, Dwight R.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US13/625,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20140086121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for controlling a wireless station (102) are disclosed. In an embodiment, an access point (104), or any other suitable device or system, receives a first application identifier from a first wireless station (102) at an access point (104) (e.g., receive a URL from a temperature sensor). The access point (104) then downloads and/or activates a software application to the access point (104) from a first server (106) based on the first application identifier (e.g., download a temperature measurement application based on the URL). The access point (104) issues a command to the first wireless station (102) based on the software application (e.g., send temperature measurement and sleep instructions to the temperature sensor). The access point (104) also receives first data from the first wireless station (102) (e.g., receive temperature measurements from the sensor). The access point (104) transmits the first data to at least one of the first server (106) and a second different server (106) (e.g., send the temperature measurements back to the server).

Claims

1. A method of issuing commands to a wireless station, the method comprising:

receiving, via a transceiver in an access point, a first application identifier from a first wireless station wirelessly communicatively coupled to the access point;

activating a software application in a controller of the access point based on the first application identifier;

issuing a command, based on the software application, via the transceiver to the first wireless station;

receiving, via the transceiver, first data from the first wireless station; and

transmitting the first data to a first server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein issuing a command to the first wireless station based on the software application includes issuing a command associated with a sleep mode behavior of the first wireless station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second application identifier from a second different wireless station at the access point, the second application identifier being indicative of the software application;

determining that the software application is already installed on the access point; and

executing the software application at the access point, the software application causing the access point to (a) issue commands to the second wireless station, (b) receive second data from the second wireless station, and (c) transmit the second data to at least one of the first server and a second different server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point broadcasts a signal indicative of a capability of the access point to dynamically accept station control software.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a first application identifier from a first wireless station at an access point includes receiving a uniform resource locator (URL).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the software application includes downloading the software application to the access point based on the first application identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein issuing a command to the first wireless station based on the software application includes issuing a command via a point-to-point channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving first data from the first wireless station includes receiving the first data from a battery powered sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving first data from the first wireless station includes receiving data indicative of a physical measurement.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising deactivating the software application.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a signal indicating that the software application is not supported.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a signal indicating that the first wireless station is denied a connection to the access point.

13. An apparatus for issuing commands to a wireless station, the apparatus comprising:

an application ID receiver operatively coupled to a transceiver in an access point, the application ID receiver structured to receive, from the transceiver, a first application identifier from a first wireless station wirelessly communicatively coupled to the access point;

an application downloader operatively coupled to the application ID receiver and to a controller in the access point, the application downloader being structured to download, to the controller, a software application from a first server based on the first application identifier;

the controller being structured to issue a command to the first wireless station via the transceiver based on the software application;

the transceiver being structured to receive first data from the first wireless station; and

a network interface operatively coupled to the controller, the network interface being structured to transmit the first data to at least one of the first server and a second different server.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is structured to issue a command associated with a sleep mode behavior of the first wireless station.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the application ID receiver receives a second application identifier from a second different wireless station, the second application identifier being indicative of the software application;

the application downloader determines that the software application is already installed on the access point; and

the controller executes the software application at the access point, the software application causing the access point to (a) issue commands to the second wireless station, (b) receive second data from the second wireless station, and (c) transmit the second data to at least one of the first server and the second server.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transceiver broadcasts a signal indicative of a capability of the access point to dynamically accept station control software.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the application ID receiver is structured to receive a uniform resource locator (URL).

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is structured to issue a command via a point-to-point channel.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transceiver is structured to receive the first data from a battery powered sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transceiver is structured to receive data indicative of a physical measurement.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is structured to deactivate the software application.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is structured to initiate a signal indicating that the software application is not supported.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is structured to initiate a signal indicating that the first wireless station is denied a connection to the access point.

24. A method of issuing commands to a battery powered sensor, the method comprising:

receiving, from a transceiver in an access point, a first uniform resource locator (URL) from a first battery powered sensor wirelessly communicatively coupled to the access point;

downloading a first software application from a first server based on the uniform resource locator (URL);

issuing a command to the first battery powered sensor associated with a sleep mode behavior of the first battery powered sensor based on the first software application;

receiving first data from the first battery powered sensor, the first data including physical measurement data;

transmitting the first data to at least one of the first server and a second different server;

receiving, from the transceiver, a second uniform resource locator (URL) from a second different battery powered sensor wirelessly communicatively coupled to the access point, the second uniform resource locator (URL) being indicative of a second different software application;

determining that the second software application is already installed on the access point; and

executing the second software application in a controller of the access point, the second software application causing the access point to (a) issue commands to the second battery powered sensor, (b) receive second data from the second battery powered sensor, and (c) transmit the second data to at least one of the first server and the second server.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the transceiver broadcasts a signal indicative of a capability of the access point to dynamically accept station control software.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising deactivating the first software application.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising transmitting a signal indicating that the first software application is not supported.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising transmitting a signal indicating that the first battery powered sensor is denied a connection to the access point.