Detecting services provided by a wireless node before device discovery and connection establishment

• US 9,565,622 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2012
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lundqvist, Patrik N., Chikkappa, Kiran S., Ding, Gang, Jagannathan, Padmapriya
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, Wutchung
• Application Number:
  US13/542,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20140010107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709/229, 709/206, 370/252
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A wireless communication method embeds service related information, including a version of a service associated with the service related information, within an initial wireless access message. The method may also include broadcasting the initial wireless access message including the embedded service related information. Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a wireless communication method that indentifies service related information embedded within an initial wireless access message. The method may also establish a connection with an access node of the wireless communication network to receive a service when a version of a service associated with the service related information satisfies a predetermined condition.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

embedding service related information available from an access node, including an indication of an available information service and a version including a timestamp of information provided by the information service, within an initial wireless access message;

broadcasting the version including the timestamp in the initial wireless access message including the embedded service related information, by the access node, to a plurality of wireless stations to provide the plurality of wireless stations with the version and corresponding timestamp of the information without establishing a connection with the access node; and

establishing a connection with a wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations to provide the information service to the wireless station only when the wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations determines, prior to the connection being established and prior to discovery of the access node, availability of the information service is indicated by the embedded service related information.

2. The method of claim 1, in which embedding the service related information further comprises:

inserting the service related information within a radio communication beacon.

3. The method of claim 1, in which embedding the service related information further comprises:

inserting the service related information within a service set identifier (SSID).

4. The method of claim 1, in which the service related information comprises a quality of service level available from the access node.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the service related information indicates applications available from the access node.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the version comprises a version number of the service.

7. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

identifying, at a wireless station, service related information embedded within an initial wireless access message, the service related information including an indication of an available information service and a version including a timestamp of information provided by the information service, the version including the timestamp of the service related information broadcasted from an access node from which the service is available to the wireless station to provide the wireless station with the version and corresponding timestamp without establishing a connection with the access node; and

establishing, by the wireless station, a connection with the access node of a wireless communication network only when the wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations determines, prior to the connection being established and prior to discovery of the access node, availability of the information service is indicated by the embedded service related information to receive the service.

8. The method of claim 7, in which the initial wireless access message comprises a radio communication beacon.

9. The method of claim 7, in which the initial wireless access message comprises a service set identifier (SSID).

10. The method of claim 7, in which the service related information comprises a quality of service level available from the access node.

11. The method of claim 7, in which the service related information indicates applications available from the access node.

12. The method of claim 7, in which the version comprises a version number of a service associated with the service related information.

13. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for embedding service related information available from an access node, including an indication of an available information service and a version including a timestamp of information provided by the information service, within an initial wireless access message;

means for broadcasting the version including the timestamp in the initial wireless access message including the embedded service related information, by the access node, to a plurality of wireless stations to provide the plurality of wireless stations with the version and corresponding timestamp of the information without establishing a connection with the access node; and

means for establishing a connection with a wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations to provide the information service to the wireless station only when the wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations determines, prior to the connection being established and prior to discovery of the access node, availability of the information service is indicated by the embedded service related information.

14. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for identifying, at a wireless station, service related information embedded within an initial wireless access message, the service related information including an indication of an available information service and a version including a timestamp of information provided by the information service, the version including the timestamp of the service related information broadcasted from an access node from which the service is available to the wireless station to provide the wireless station with the version and corresponding timestamp without establishing a connection with the access node; and

means for establishing, by the wireless station, a connection with the access node of a wireless communication network only when the wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations determines, prior to the connection being established and prior to discovery of the access node, availability of the information service is indicated by the embedded service related information to receive the service.

15. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured;

to embed service related information available from an access node, including an indication of an available information service and a version including a timestamp of information provided by the information service, within an initial wireless access message;

to broadcast the version including the timestamp in the initial wireless access message including the embedded service related information, by the access node, to a plurality of wireless stations to provide the plurality of wireless stations with the version and corresponding timestamp of the information without establishing a connection with the access node; and

to establish a connection with a wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations to provide the information service to the wireless station only when the wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations determines, prior to the connection being established, availability of the information service is indicated by the embedded service related information.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the at least one processor is further configured to embed the service related information by inserting the service related information within a radio communication beacon.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the at least one processor is further configured to embed the service related information by inserting the service related information within a service set identifier (SSID).

18. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the version comprises a version number of the service.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the service related information comprises a quality of service level available from the access node.

20. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured;

to identify, at a wireless station, service related information embedded within an initial wireless access message, the service related information including an indication of an available information service and a version including a timestamp of information provided by the information service, the version including the timestamp of the service related information broadcasted from an access node from which the service is available to the wireless station to provide the wireless station with the version and timestamp without establishing a connection with the access node; and

to establish, by the wireless station, a connection with the access node of a wireless communication network only when the wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations determines, prior to the connection being established, availability of the information service is indicated by the embedded service related information to receive the service.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the initial wireless access message comprises a radio communication beacon.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the initial wireless access message comprises a service set identifier (SSID).

23. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the service related information comprises quality of service level available from the access node.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the version comprises a version number of the service.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having non-transitory program code recorded thereon which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor:

to embed service related information available from an access node, including an indication of an available information service and a version including a timestamp of information provided by the information service, within an initial wireless access message;

to broadcast the version including the timestamp in the initial wireless access message including the embedded service related information, by the access node, to a plurality of wireless stations to provide the plurality of wireless stations with the version and corresponding timestamp of the information without establishing a connection with the access node; and

to establish a connection with a wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations to provide the information service to the wireless station only when the wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations determines, prior to the connection being established, availability of the information service is indicated by the embedded service related information.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having non-transitory program code recorded thereon which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor:

to identify, at a wireless station, service related information embedded within an initial wireless access message, the service related information including an indication of an available information service and a version including a timestamp of information provided by the information service, the version including the timestamp of the service related information broadcasted from an access node from which the service is available to the wireless station to provide the wireless station with the version and corresponding timestamp without establishing a connection with the access node; and

to establish, by the wireless station, a connection with the access node of a wireless communication network only when the wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations determines, prior to the connection being established, availability of the information service is indicated by the embedded service related information to receive the service.