Request-response procedure for wireless network

A method comprising:

• causing, in a requesting wireless apparatus of a communication network, transmission of a probe request message from the requesting wireless apparatus using a probe request frame format, wherein the probe request message is being used to perform an active scan to detect other wireless apparatus of the communication network, and wherein the probe request message comprises an information element that indicates that the requesting wireless apparatus supports a collision avoidance mechanism that reduces a number of probe response messages;
• and
• acquiring, in the requesting wireless apparatus, a probe response message from a responding wireless apparatus, wherein the probe response message is a response to the probe request message,
• wherein the probe response message is acquired in response to a detection at the responding wireless apparatus of the information element indicating that the requesting wireless apparatus from which the probe request message was originated supports the collision avoidance mechanism, and
• wherein based on the information element indicating the requesting wireless apparatus supports the collision avoidance mechanism the probe response message is acquired as a single probe response message from the responding wireless apparatus to a plurality of requesting wireless apparatuses which also support the collision avoidance mechanism to thereby reduce the number of probe response messages.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory including program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
• acquire in a communication network a plurality of probe request messages originated from a plurality of requesting wireless apparatuses using a probe request frame format, each of the plurality of probe request messages being used to perform an active scan to detect other wireless apparatus of the communication network;
• detect based on an information element in each probe request message of a set of the plurality of probe request messages that requesting wireless apparatuses from which the set of the plurality of the probe request messages were originated support a collision avoidance mechanism;
• detect based on a further probe request message of the plurality of probe request messages that a further requesting wireless apparatus of the plurality of requesting wireless apparatuses does not support a collision avoidance mechanism;
• and
• in response to detecting that the requesting wireless apparatuses from which the set of the plurality of probe request messages were originated support the collision avoidance mechanism,
• cause transmission of a single probe response message that responds to the set of the plurality of probe request messages, and
• in response to detecting that the further requesting wireless apparatus does not support the collision avoidance mechanism,
• cause transmission of a separate probe response message that responds to the further probe request message received from the further requesting wireless apparatus which was detected to not support the collision avoidance mechanism.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory including program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
• cause transmission in a communication network of a probe request message using a probe request frame format, wherein the probe request message is being used to perform an active scan to detect other wireless apparatus of the communication network, and wherein the probe request message comprises an information element that indicates that the apparatus supports a collision avoidance mechanism that reduces a number of probe response messages;
• and
• acquiring a probe response message from a responding wireless apparatus, wherein the probe response message is a response to the probe request message,
• wherein the probe response message is acquired in response to a detection at the responding wireless apparatus of the information element indicating that the apparatus from which the probe request message was originated supports the collision avoidance mechanism, and
• wherein based on the information element indicating the apparatus supports the collision avoidance mechanism the probe response message is acquired as a single probe response message from the responding wireless apparatus to a plurality of requesting wireless apparatuses which also support the collision avoidance mechanism to thereby reduce the number of probe response messages.