System, method, and server for keeping wireless local area network terminal online all the time

• US 9,860,840 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Wei, Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamara, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US14/916,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20160219521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for keeping a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) terminal always online is provided. The method includes: the WLAN terminal, configured to receive and execute an online/offline strategy formulated by an online state server, and notify the online state server of its own state change when its own state has been switched into an online state or is about to be switched into an offline state; the online state server, configured to formulate and send the online/offline strategy to the WLAN terminal; and an online data caching server, configured to receive a notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal, cache data sent by each data source to the WLAN terminal after the WLAN terminal is switched into the offline state, and transmit the cached data to the WLAN terminal after the WLAN terminal is switched into the online state.

Claims

1. A system for keeping a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) terminal always online, comprising the WLAN terminal, an online state server and an online data caching server, wherein

the WLAN terminal is configured to receive and execute an online/offline strategy formulated by the online state server, and notify the online state server of a state change of the WLAN terminal when a state of the WLAN terminal has been switched into an online state or is about to be switched into an offline state;

the online state server is configured to formulate and send the online/offline strategy to the WLAN terminal; and

the online data caching server is configured to receive a notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal, cache data sent by each data source to the WLAN terminal after the WLAN terminal is switched into the offline state, and transmit the cached data to the WLAN terminal after the WLAN terminal is switched into the online state;

wherein the offline state is a Power Save (PS) state, and the online state is an Active state;

wherein the online data caching server is an AP or other network element except the AP;

when the online data caching server is the AP, the WLAN terminal is configured to directly notify the online data caching server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal when the state of the WLAN terminal has been switched into the online state or is about to be switched into the offline state;

the online data caching server is configured to receive the notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal, and notify the online state server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal;

when the online data caching server is other network element except the AP, the WLAN terminal is configured to notify the online state server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal when the state of the WLAN terminal has been switched into the online state or is about to be switched into the offline state; and

the online state server is configured to receive the notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal, and notify the online data caching server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an Access Point (AP), configured to be associated with the WLAN terminal, wherein the WLAN terminal is further configured to be associated with the AP for identity authentication, and obtain an Internet Protocol (IP) address after passing the identity authentication.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the online state server is further configured to record the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal after receiving the state change notified by the WLAN terminal.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the WLAN terminal is further configured to be registered with the online state server, and request to acquire the online/offline strategy formulated by the online state server;

and

correspondingly, the online state server is further configured to transmit the online/offline strategy to the WLAN terminal after successful registration.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the online state server is further configured to initiatively transmit the online/offline strategy to the WLAN terminal after learning that the WLAN terminal passes identity authentication through other network element.

6. The system according to claim 3, further comprising:

an application service server, configured to query the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal from the online state server, and develop a service according to a query result about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal.

7. An online data caching server for keeping a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) terminal always online, comprising:

a first state transceiver module, a caching module and a cached data sending module, wherein

the first state transceiver module is configured to receive and send a notice about an online/offline state of the WLAN terminal;

the caching module is configured to cache data sent by each data resource to the WLAN terminal after the WLAN terminal is switched into the offline state; and

the cached data sending module is configured to transmit the data cached by the caching module to the WLAN terminal after the WLAN terminal is switched into the offline state;

wherein the offline state is a Power Save (PS) state, and the online state is an Active state;

wherein when the online data caching server is the AP, the online data caching server is configured to receive a notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal sent by the WLAN terminal, and notify the online state server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal;

when the online data caching server is other network element except the AP, the online data caching server is configured to receive a notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal sent by the online state server;

wherein the notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal is sent to the online state server by the WLAN terminal.

8. The online data caching server according to claim 7, wherein the notice is a notice which is sent by the first state transceiver module according to an online/offline strategy formulated by an online state server when the WLAN terminal has been switched into the online state or is about to be switched into the offline state.

9. An online state server for keeping a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) terminal always online, comprising:

a strategy formulation module, a strategy sending module, a second state transceiver module and a state recording and querying module, wherein

the strategy formulation module is configured to formulate an online/offline strategy for the WLAN terminal;

the strategy sending module is configured to send the online/offline strategy formulated by the strategy formulation module to the WLAN terminal;

the second state transceiver module is configured to receive and send a notice about an online/offline state, determined by the online/offline strategy, of the WLAN terminal; and

the state recording and querying module is configured to record the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal after receiving the notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal, and provide service of querying the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal for an application service server;

wherein the offline state is a Power Save (PS) state, and the online state is an Active state;

wherein the second state transceiver module is further configured to receive a notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal sent by the online data caching server, wherein the notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal is sent to the online data caching server by the WLAN terminal;

or

the second state transceiver module is further configured to receive a notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal sent by the WLAN terminal, and notify the online data caching server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal.

10. A method for keeping a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) terminal always online, comprising:

receiving and executing, by the WLAN terminal, an online/offline strategy formulated by an online state server, and notifying the online state server of a state change of the WLAN terminal when a state of the WLAN terminal has been switched into an online state or is about to be switched into an offline state;

receiving, by an online data caching server, a notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal, and caching data sent by each data source to the WLAN terminal after the WLAN terminal is switched into the offline state; and

transmitting, by the online data caching server, the cached data to the WLAN terminal after the WLAN terminal is switched into the online state;

wherein the offline state is a Power Save (PS) state, and the online state is an Active state;

wherein the online data caching server is an AP or other network element except the AP;

when the online data caching server is the AP, the WLAN terminal directly notifies the online data caching server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal when the state of the WLAN terminal has been switched into the online state or is about to be switched into the offline state, and the online data caching server receives the notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal, and notifies the online state server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal;

when the online data caching server is other network element except the AP, the WLAN terminal notifies the online state server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal when the state of the WLAN terminal has been switched into the online state or is about to be switched into the offline state, and the online state server receives the notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal, and notifies the online data caching server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

before receiving the online/offline strategy, associating the WLAN terminal with an Access Point (AP) for identity authentication and obtaining an Internet Protocol (IP) address after passing the identity authentication.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

recording, by the online state server, the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal after receiving the state change notified by the WLAN terminal.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein receiving, by the WLAN terminal, the online/offline strategy formulated by the online state server comprises:

registering the WLAN terminal with the online state server, and requesting, by the WLAN terminal, to acquire the online/offline strategy formulated by the online state server, and transmitting, by the online state server, the online/offline strategy to the WLAN terminal after successful registration;

or,

initiatively transmitting, by the online state server, the online/offline strategy to the WLAN terminal after learning through other network element that the WLAN terminal passes the identity authentication.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

querying, by an application service server, the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal from the online state server, and developing a service according to a query result about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal.

15. A method for keeping a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) terminal always online, comprising:

acquiring a notice about an online/offline state change made when the WLAN terminal has been switched into an online state or is about to be switched into an offline state according to an online/offline strategy formulated by an online state server;

caching data sent by each data source to the WLAN terminal after the WLAN terminal is switched into the offline state; and

transmitting the cached data to the WLAN terminal after the WLAN terminal is switched into the online state;

wherein the offline state is a Power Save (PS) state, and the online state is an Active state;

wherein the acquiring a notice about an online/offline state change made comprises;

receiving a notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal sent by the WLAN terminal, in order to notify the online state server of the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal;

or

receiving a notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal sent by the online state server;

wherein the notice about the online/offline state of the WLAN terminal is sent to the online state server by the WLAN terminal.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising a set of instructions, the instructions being configured to execute the method for keeping a WLAN terminal always online according to claim 15.