AP-local dynamic switching
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a processor; and
a non-transitory memory in operable communication with the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;
receive a signal representing a priority characteristic of a first virtual local area network (VLAN) associated with a first wireless station;
determine whether to AP-locally switch traffic from the first wireless station based on the priority characteristic, thereby determining a priority of the first VLAN as compared with a second VLAN;
when the priority characteristic is a first value, switch the traffic locally to the second wireless station by forwarding the traffic to the second wireless station without forwarding the traffic to an intervening wireless station; and
when the priority characteristic is a second value less than the first value, tunnel the traffic from the first wireless station upstream to the second wireless station.
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Abstract
A technique for implementing AP-local dynamic switching involves Layer 2 switching. This may be accomplished by providing data associated with wireless stations to an AP sufficient to enable the AP to determine whether traffic from a particular wireless station should be locally switched. Alternatively, the wireless station may be able to determine whether to locally switch traffic based upon the traffic itself. For example, it may be desirable to AP-locally switch voice traffic to avoid latency, which is particularly detrimental to voice transmissions such as voice-over-IP. Traffic that is not to be switched locally is Layer 2 tunneled upstream.
738 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a processor; and a non-transitory memory in operable communication with the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to; receive a signal representing a priority characteristic of a first virtual local area network (VLAN) associated with a first wireless station; determine whether to AP-locally switch traffic from the first wireless station based on the priority characteristic, thereby determining a priority of the first VLAN as compared with a second VLAN; when the priority characteristic is a first value, switch the traffic locally to the second wireless station by forwarding the traffic to the second wireless station without forwarding the traffic to an intervening wireless station; and when the priority characteristic is a second value less than the first value, tunnel the traffic from the first wireless station upstream to the second wireless station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus, comprising:
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a processor; and a non-transitory memory in operable communication with the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to; receive data from a first wireless station and data from a second wireless station; determine, at a first time, a first VLAN associated with the first wireless station; at a second time after the first time, Layer-2 switch locally the data from the first wireless station, by sending the data to a further wireless station without sending the data to an intervening wireless station; determine, at a third time, a second VLAN associated with the second wireless station; and at a fourth time after the third time, Layer-2 tunnel the data from the second wireless station upstream to a wireless switch. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus, comprising:
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a processor; and a non-transitory memory in operable communication with the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to; receive data from a wireless station, the data indicating a priority characteristic of a first VLAN associated with the wireless station; receive traffic from the wireless station; determine whether to AP-locally switch the traffic from the wireless station based on the priority characteristic, thereby determining a priority of the first VLAN as compared with a second VLAN; when the priority characteristic is a first value, switch the traffic locally to a second wireless station by forwarding the traffic to the second wireless station without forwarding the traffic to an intervening wireless station; and when the priority characteristic is a second value less than the first value, tunnel the traffic from the wireless station upstream to a second wireless station. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification