Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for affiliating a wireless device with a wireless local area network

US8284739B2 · kind B2 · utility

20Cited by
1References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 28, 2003
Grant dateOct 9, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 9, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W8/245
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for affiliating a wireless device with a wireless local area network (WLAN). An embodiment of the method of this invention comprises establishing, at a control node of the WLAN, access frequency(s) for affiliation with the WLAN. The control node periodically provides a beacon frame on the access frequency(s) that indicates the timing of affiliation with the WLAN. The wireless device determines the access frequency(s) for affiliating with the WLAN and the timing of affiliation with the WLAN based on the beacon frame. The wireless device provides self identification information via the access frequency during the beacon frame. This allows the control node to determine the access privileges of the wireless device based on the identification information. Finally, the control node affiliates the wireless device with an initial access channel from a set of access channels in accordance with the access privileges.

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