Patent · US Active

Using mini-beacons in a wireless network

US7787401B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
3References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 17, 2005
Grant dateAug 31, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 14, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W88/08
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and software containing computer readable code to implement the method implemented in a first wireless device, e.g., an access point. The method includes, for a particular network identifier, e.g., BSSID, of at least one network identifier supported by the first wireless device that including a transmitter and modulator, each network identifier identifying a wireless network, e.g., an IEEE 802.11 BSS for which the first wireless device acts as an access point, transmitting full parent beacon frames periodically at the beacon frame rate for the particular network identifier; and transmitting at least one mini-beacon frames in between consecutive full parent beacon frames for the particular network identifier. Each mini beacon frame includes a subset of the information in a full parent beacon frame, and further including timing information indicative of when the next full parent beacon frame will be transmitted for the particular network identifier.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.