Mobile communications terminal for use in several wireless local networks and method for operating

• US 9,338,048 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Schielein, Michael, Grimminger, Jochen, Grting, Wolfgang, Surtees, Abigail
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAVLESKI, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US11/659,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20100290440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,975 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/401, 370/463, 455/434, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile communications terminal for use in a plurality of wireless local networks. Said terminal comprises a log on memory, in which an access address that is designed to be used for a new log on process is stored. According to the invention, information concerning the access addresses that were received by the mobile communications terminal in previous log on operations and the network among the plurality of wireless local networks that was used, is stored in an allocation memory. The terminal is configured in such a way that when a new access request is received for a sought network among the plurality of wireless local networks, it searches for a previous access address that was allocated for the sought network and is also configured in such a way that when said previous access address for the sought network has been found, it writes the address to the log on memory and permits the log on operation. The invention also relates to a method for managing log on information that is designed for the mobile communications terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile communications terminal for use in a plurality of wireless local networks, comprising:

an allocation memory storing information of prior access addresses the mobile communications terminal has received in association with identifiers of the wireless local networks in previous logon processes; and

a programmed processor configured to;

search for an access address among the prior access addresses that are previously issued by any one of the wireless local networks to the mobile communications terminal using an identifier of a sought network, the search being in response to a new access request for the sought network among the wireless local networks,

transmit the access address for a logon process of the sought network, upon finding the access address as a result of the search, and

wherein the access address of said any one of the wireless local networks is re-allocated to the mobile communications terminal for the logon process of the sought network where no session re-establishment is necessary according to the search finding the access address, and writing an access address directed to the sought network in a logon memory subsequent to the logon process to the sought network using the re-allocated access address of said any one of the wireless local networks when the search results in other than finding access address.

2. The mobile communications terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein, if the access address is invalid for the sought network, said processor requests a new access address from the sought network.

3. The mobile communications terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of communication connections to different networks of the wireless local networks are supported by the mobile communications terminal.

4. The mobile communications terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mobile communications terminal is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol client and said logon memory contains a last access address issued by one of the wireless local networks to the mobile communications terminal and is able to be overwritten by the access address of the sought network.

5. The mobile communications terminal as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one of additional security information and network information which is linked to each of the access addresses is stored for the wireless local networks in the mobile communications terminal.

6. The mobile communications terminal as claimed in claim 5, wherein the information in the allocation memory representing an associated wireless local network is allocated to earlier issued access addresses.

7. The mobile communications terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the information representing the wireless local network is position information.

8. The mobile communications terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the information representing of the wireless local network is at least one of a Service Set Identifier and a Medium Access Control address.

9. A method for administering logon information in a mobile communications terminal for setting up communications links in a plurality of wireless local networks, comprising:

store, in an allocation memory of the mobile communications terminal, information of prior access addresses the mobile communications terminal has received in association with identifiers of the wireless local networks during previous logon processes;

search, for an access address among the prior access addresses previously that are issued by any one of the wireless local networks to the mobile communications terminal using an identifier of a sought network, the search being in response to a new access request for the sought network among the wireless local networks; and

transmit the access address for a logon process of the sought network, upon finding the access address as a result of the search, and

wherein the access address of said any one of the wireless local networks is re-allocated to the mobile communications terminal for the logon process of the sought network where no session re-establishment is necessary according to the search finding the access address, and writing an access address directed to the sought network in a logon memory subsequent to the logon process to the sought network using the re-allocated access address of said any one of the wireless local networks when the search results in other than finding the access address.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising requesting, if the access address is invalid for the sought network, a new access address from the sought network.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile communications terminal supports a plurality of communications links between one of the wireless local networks and the mobile communications terminal under a single access address.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the mobile communications terminal is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol client, further comprising:

storing a last access address issued by one of the plurality of wireless local networks to the mobile communications device in the logon memory; and

overwriting the last access address when the access address of the sought network is found.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, further comprising storing in the mobile communications terminal at least one of security information and network information linked to each of the access addresses for the wireless local networks.

14. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the logon process of the mobile communications terminal is implemented using the access address without interruption of a session.