Patent · US Active

Wireless network discovery method and apparatus

US9661561B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
0References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 24, 2014
Grant dateMay 23, 2017
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 27, 2035

Classification

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

Abstract

In a wireless network discovery operation, before a WiFi station sends a network probe request in a WiFi network to request for network information it needs to connect to an access point, it first listens to communications on a current channel of the WiFi network for a preset period of time. When the WiFi station receives on the current channel a network probe request message sent by another WiFi station, it further delays sending the first network probe request by a second time period, in anticipation of some signals from the access point. If during the second time period a network discovery message from the access point, such as a probe response or a beacon message, is detected and that message contains the network information needed, the WiFi station cancels the sending of its probe request. Otherwise, the WiFi station sends its probe request after the second time period expires.

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