Wireless LAN handover method, wireless terminal, program product for use in the wireless terminal, and wireless communications system
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorsYouko Omori, Shinichi Morimoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wireless terminal is associated with a Basic Service Set (BSS) or an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). The wireless terminal notifies the currently associated target of transition into power saving mode, before migrating from the currently associated BSS or IBSS to another BSS or IBSS. Subsequently, the wireless LAN terminal starts searching for another BSS or IBSS which is the next candidate target to be associated with.
Claims33
A wireless LAN handover method for use in a wireless LAN system, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a notification, in which a wireless terminal associating with either a Basic Service Set (BSS) or an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS), indicates transition into power saving mode, to the BSS or IBSS;
- and
- searching for another BSS or IBSS through said wireless terminal after said notification of transition into power saving mode has been transmitted.
A wireless terminal for use in a wireless LAN system, comprising:
- a notification unit which transmits, when said terminal searches for a Basic Service Set (BSS) or Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) which is different from the BSS or IBSS with which said terminal is currently associated with, a notification of transition into power saving mode which notifies said currently associated BSS or IBSS of transition into power saving mode;
- and
- a search unit which searches, after said notification of transition into power saving mode has been transmitted, for another BSS or IBSS.
A program product for instructing a computer to execute a handover function of a wireless terminal in a wireless LAN system, comprising the steps of:
- notification step for transmitting, to a Basic Service Set (BSS) or an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) with which said wireless terminal is currently associated with, a notification of transition into power saving mode to notify that said terminal transits into power saving mode;
- and
- search step of searching for another BSS or IBSS after said notification of transition into power saving mode has been transmitted.
A wireless communications system comprising one or more terminals and a plurality of base stations, each of said one or more terminals being associated with one of said plurality of base stations, each of said terminals including
- a notification unit which transmits, when said terminal searches for a base station which is different from the base station with which said terminal is currently associated with, a notification of transition into power saving mode which notifies said currently associated base station of transition into power saving mode;
- and
- a search unit which searches, after said notification of transition into power saving mode has been transmitted, for another base station,
- wherein said base station reserves transmitting packets to said terminal, upon reception of a notification of transition into power saving mode from one of said wireless terminals.
A wireless LAN system with a plurality of terminals are operating in ad-hoc mode, forming a plurality of Independent Basic Service Sets (IBSSs), wherein
- each of said plurality of terminals comprises a search unit which searches for another IBSS;
- and
- each of said plurality of terminals does not, at a timing which is possible to transmit a beacon, transmit the beacon, and actuates said search unit after having received a beacon from another terminal associated with the IBSS with which said terminal is associated with, and an ATIM window following said beacon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.