Transmitting a communication from a wireless access point indicating available networks and their capabilities
US7876735B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 29, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jan 25, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 25, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W88/08
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A wireless access point may be configured to advertise, to mobile user devices, multiple wireless networks available through the wireless access point. For example, service set identifiers (SSIDs) may be specified within an information element (IE) of a communication such as, for example, an 802.11 beacon, broadcasted to mobile user devices. Such an IE may utilize the capability provided by IEEE 802.11 itself to use additional and flexible numbers of information elements within a beacon. Accordingly, networks that would otherwise remain hidden due to limitations of known wireless access points are made visible to mobile user devices. Configuring a wireless access point to advertise multiple available wireless networks, for example, by firmware upgrades, may serve as a viable and cost-effective interim solution and/or alternative to replacing a wireless access point with a wireless access point configured to implement virtual wireless access points.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.