Wireless network including omnibus access point

• US 9,247,570 B1
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cambium Networks Limited (Cambium Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Xirrus Incorporated
• Inventors: Gates, Dirk, Parker, Patrick, Horner, Jack, Russell, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Crutchfield, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US14/717,959
• Time in Patent Office: 251 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

There is disclosed a wireless communications network, a method for managing a wireless communications network, and an omnibus access point. The omnibus access point may receive, from a user device, a request to join an identified service set, the user device located within a coverage area of the omnibus access point and outside of a coverage area of an access point associated with the identified service set. The omnibus access point may attempt to identify the access point associated with the identified service set. When the omnibus access point succeeds in identifying the access point associated with the identified service set, the omnibus access point may establish a secure communications path between the omnibus access point and the identified access point to allow secure communications between the user device and the identified service set.

Claims

1. A method for managing a wireless communications network, comprising:

an omnibus wireless access point receiving, from a user device, a request to join an identified service set, the user device located within a coverage area of the omnibus access point and outside of a coverage area of an access point associated with the identified service set;

the omnibus wireless access point attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set; and

when the omnibus wireless access point succeeds in identifying the access point associated with the identified service set, the omnibus wireless access point establishing a communications path between the omnibus wireless access point and the identified access point to provide communications between the user device and the identified service set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified access point is one of a plurality of access points connected to the omnibus access point via a network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing a communications path between the omnibus wireless access point and the identified access point comprises:

establishing a connection over the network using a secure or non-secure tunneling protocol.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set comprises:

the omnibus wireless access point sending a respective query to each of the plurality of access points.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set comprises:

the omnibus wireless access point broadcasting a query to all of the plurality of access points.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set comprises:

the omnibus wireless access point sending a request to an administrator computing device that maintains a table of all active service sets and the associated access points.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the omnibus wireless access point does not succeed in identifying the access point associated with the identified service set, the omnibus wireless access point sending a message to the user device denying the request.

8. An omnibus wireless access point, comprising:

circuits and software to cause the omnibus wireless access point to perform actions including;

receiving, from a user device, a request to join an identified service set, the user device located within a coverage area of the omnibus wireless access point and outside of a coverage area of an access point associated with the identified service set;

attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set; and

when the access point associated with the identified service set is identified, establishing a communications path between the omnibus wireless access point and the identified access point to allow communications between the user device and the identified service set.

9. The omnibus wireless access point of claim 8, wherein

the circuits and software include an interface to a network, and

the identified access point is one of a plurality of access points connected to the omnibus access point via the network.

10. The omnibus wireless access point of claim 9, wherein establishing a communications path between the omnibus wireless access point and the identified access point comprises:

establishing a secure connection over the network using a secure or non-secure tunneling protocol.

11. The omnibus wireless access point of claim 9, wherein attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set comprises:

the omnibus wireless access point sending a respective query to each of the plurality of access points.

12. The omnibus wireless access point of claim 9, wherein attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set comprises:

the omnibus wireless access point broadcasting a query to all of the plurality of access points.

13. The omnibus wireless access point of claim 9, wherein attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set comprises:

the omnibus wireless access point sending a query to an administrator computing device that maintains a table of active service sets and the associated access points.

14. The omnibus wireless access point of claim 8, the actions performed further including:

when the omnibus wireless access point does not succeed in identifying the access point associated with the identified service set, sending a message to the user device denying the request.

15. A wireless communications network, comprising:

a plurality of access points;

one or more omnibus wireless access point; and

a network connecting the plurality of access points and the one or more omnibus wireless access point,

the omnibus wireless access point further comprising circuits and software to cause the omnibus access point to perform actions including;

receiving, from a user device, a request to join an identified service set associated with one of the plurality of access points, the user device located within a coverage area of the omnibus wireless access point and outside of a coverage area of the access point associated with the identified service set;

attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set; and

when the access point associated with the identified service set is identified, establishing a communications path between the omnibus wireless access point and the identified access point to allow communications between the user device and the identified service set.

16. The wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein establishing a communications path between the omnibus wireless access point and the identified access point comprises:

establishing a secure connection over the network using a secure or non-secure tunneling protocol.

17. The wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set comprises:

the omnibus wireless access point sending a respective query to each of the plurality of access points.

18. The wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set comprises:

the omnibus wireless access point broadcasting a query to all of the plurality of access points.

19. The wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein attempting to identify the access point associated with the identified service set comprises:

the omnibus wireless access point sending a query to an administrator computing device that maintains a table of active service sets and the associated access points.

20. The wireless communications network of claim 15, the actions performed further including:

when the omnibus wireless access point does not succeed in identifying the access point associated with the identified service set, sending a message to the user device denying the request.