Patent · US Active

Untethered access point mesh system and method

US9232451B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
2References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 25, 2014
Grant dateJan 5, 2016
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 25, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W88/14
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A technique for implementing an untethered access point (UAP) mesh involves enabling AP-local switching at one or more UAPs of the mesh. A system constructed according to the technique may include a wireless switch; an access point (AP) wire-coupled to the wireless switch; and a UAP mesh, wirelessly coupled to the AP, including a UAP with an AP-local switching engine embodied in a computer-readable medium. Another system constructed according to the technique may include an untethered access point (UAP), including: a radio; a backhaul service set identifier (SSID) stored in a computer-readable medium; an anchor access point (AAP) selection engine embodied in a computer-readable medium. In operation, the AAP selection engine may use the radio to attempt to associate with the AAP if a beaconed backhaul SSID matches the stored backhaul SSID. A method according to the technique may include beaconing with a backhaul SSID; acting in concert with an upstream switch as an authenticator for a downstream station that responds to the beacon; providing limited local switching functionality for the downstream station.

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