US 10,321,515 B2 · Base station initiated proximity service discovery and connection establishment

Abstract

The normal roles of wireless stations and wireless access points in initiating the establishment of wireless connections may be reversed without the need for changes in the network interfaces for either the station or access point device. This capability may be used to allow wireless devices acting as access points, but on which service clients operate, to initiate the establishment of a connection with a station, on which a wireless service provider operates. Discovery of services between wireless devices can be provided prior to establishing a connection between the devices. A service client device providing access point functionality may broadcast an invitation for service advertisements and then receive service advertisements from relevant service providers acting as wireless stations. An information element may be included as part of periodically broadcast administrative messages to wirelessly convey an invitation for service advertisements. In response to a service advertisement, the access point may send to the wireless station an invitation to connect, prompting the wireless station to begin to establish a connection according to a wireless communication protocol.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for connecting to an infrastructure mode wireless network, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a computing device, an advertisement for a service provided over the infrastructure mode wireless network via the computing device;
receiving, by the computing device, an indication for the computing device to initiate a connection to an access point for the infrastructure mode wireless network, wherein the indication is received from an access point as part of an attempt to access the service provided via the computing device, wherein the attempt to access the service is in response to the transmitted advertisement;
in response to the indication, transmitting, by the computing device, a request to the access point for the computing device to connect to the infrastructure mode wireless network;
receiving, by the computing device, a response from the access point, the response including an acceptance of the request to connect to the infrastructure node wireless network;
and
connecting, by the computing device, to the infrastructure mode wireless network via the access point.

3 more elements

An apparatus for providing a service via an infrastructure mode wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

a network interface configured to:
transmit information to at least one computing device;
and
receive information from the at least one computing device;
and
a memory and a processor that are respectively configured to store and execute instructions, including instructions to cause the apparatus to:
while the apparatus has not joined the infrastructure mode wireless network, transmit an offer to provide a service to the at least one computing device over the infrastructure mode wireless network;
receive, in response to the offer to provide the service to the at least one computing device over the infrastructure mode wireless network, a request for the apparatus to connect to the infrastructure mode wireless network, the request for the apparatus to connect to the infrastructure mode wireless network being in conjunction with a request from the at least one computing device for the service;
in response to the request for the service, connect to the infrastructure mode wireless network;
and
provide the service, over the infrastructure mode wireless network, to the at least one computing device.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Base station initiated proximity service discovery and connection establishment

Life of this patent

Base station initiated proximity service discovery and connection establishment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20