# US 12,225,562 B2 · Adaptive wireless network feature support > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,225,562 B2 - Document ID: US12225562B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/359,511 - Filed: 2023-07-26 - Published: 2023-11-16 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-10 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Jerome Henry; Sudhir Kumar Jain; Aries Kuttiyan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12225562B2 ## CPC - H04W 72/51: based on terminal or device properties - H04L 5/005: {of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals} - H04L 5/0053: {Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals} - H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition - H04W 48/12: using downlink control channel - H04W 48/14: using user query {or user detection} - H04W 72/02: Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Techniques to adaptively support/enable a wireless network feature for certain wireless client devices without hampering the performance or connectivity of wireless client devices which do not support that wireless network feature. An access point or wireless network controller adaptively enables a wireless network feature without advertising support for the wireless network feature in a wireless network-standard compliant manner to allow one or more wireless clients that support the wireless network feature to use the wireless network feature when associated to the access point while enabling association of one or more wireless clients that do not support the wireless network feature. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: adaptively enabling, by a network device, a wireless network feature such that the wireless network feature is enabled for one or more first wireless client devices that support the wireless network feature and is hidden from one or more second wireless client devices that do not support the wireless network feature, wherein the wireless network feature is one or more of a fast transition association network feature of a wireless network or a security related wireless network feature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network feature is the fast transition association network feature of the wireless network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network feature is the security related wireless network feature. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network feature is associated with a security mode for the wireless network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network feature is incompatible with a mode of the one or more second wireless client devices. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is one of a wireless access point or a wireless network controller and the network device does not include a specific informational element that indicates support of the wireless network feature from the one or more second wireless client devices. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the wireless network feature includes: obtaining a probe request from a wireless client device; determining whether the wireless client device supports the wireless network feature based on the probe request; enabling wireless network connectivity with the wireless network feature for the wireless client device based on determining that the wireless client device supports the wireless network feature; and enabling the wireless network connectivity without the wireless network feature for the wireless client device based on determining that the wireless client device does not support the wireless network feature. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein enabling includes: enabling the wireless network connectivity without the wireless network feature by providing one or more probe responses that do not include information signifying support of the wireless network feature. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: broadcasting, from the network device, one or more beacons without advertising support for the wireless network feature such that the wireless network feature is hidden from the one or more second wireless client devices when advertising a respective network and when associating with the network device to access the respective network. ### Claim 10 An apparatus comprising: a wireless transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless signals in a wireless local area network; and a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to adaptively enable a wireless network feature such that the wireless network feature is enabled for one or more first wireless client devices that support the wireless network feature and is hidden from one or more second wireless client devices that do not support the wireless network feature, wherein the wireless network feature is one or more of a fast transition association network feature of the wireless local area network or a security related wireless network feature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wireless network feature is the fast transition association network feature of the wireless local area network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wireless network feature is the security related wireless network feature. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wireless network feature is associated with a security mode for the wireless local area network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wireless network feature is incompatible with a mode of the one or more second wireless client devices. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to not include a specific informational element that indicates support of the wireless network feature from the one or more second wireless client devices. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to enable the wireless network feature by: obtaining a probe request from a wireless client device; determining whether the wireless client device supports the wireless network feature based on the probe request; enabling wireless network connectivity with the wireless network feature for the wireless client device based on determining that the wireless client device supports the wireless network feature; and enabling the wireless network connectivity without the wireless network feature for the wireless client device based on determining that the wireless client device does not support the wireless network feature. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: a plurality of wireless client devices; and at least one network device that is configured to adaptively enable a wireless network feature such that the wireless network feature is enabled for one or more first wireless client devices that support the wireless network feature and is hidden from one or more second wireless client devices that do not support the wireless network feature, wherein the wireless network feature is one or more of a fast transition association network feature of a wireless network or a security related wireless network feature. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless network feature is the fast transition association network feature of the wireless network. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless network feature is the security related wireless network feature or is associated with a security mode for the wireless network. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network feature is advertised in an optional field of a beacon or an optional filed of a response that is transmitted from the network device.