Patent · US Active

Mobile intelligent roaming using multi-modal access point devices

US8204029B2 · kind B2 · utility

31Cited by
19References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 19, 2008
Grant dateJun 19, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 2, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W84/12
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method are provided in which access point (AP) devices in a wireless local area network (WLAN) are typed or configured into one of three measurement and reporting roles: Monitor-Mode AP (MMAP), Portal AP (PAP), a Border AP (BAP) or an Interior AP (IAP). APs are assigned specific link measurement requirements according to their assigned type or role. In general, MMAPs and PAPs have the greatest measurement and reporting responsibilities, BAPs have less measurement and reporting responsibilities than PAPs and IAPs have the least measurement and reporting responsibilities. The APs generate measurements that are supplied to appropriate equipment to facilitate handover decisions with respect to a dual-mode wireless client device that roams between the WLAN and another network or vice versa. As a result, link measurements are only performed by APs in locations where such measurements are necessary for handover service, thus reducing the overall processing load on the WLAN infrastructure.

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