Switching between two communicaiton modes in a WLAN

A system for switching a network application operating in a first communication mode to a second communication mode within a wireless local area network, wherein a plurality of mobile nodes access the network through at least one access point and communicate with at least one application server to obtain various network applications provided by said application server in the first communication mode;

• and a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes can communicate with each other directly in the second communication mode;
• the system comprising:
• an application server for providing a plurality of network applications, wherein the application server includes an application module and an application agent module;
• a plurality of access points;
• a plurality of mobile nodes for communicating with the application server through the plurality of access points;
• each of said plurality of mobile nodes including a client module and a client agent;
• and
• a location acquiring apparatus;
• wherein,
• in the first communication mode, when the plurality of mobile nodes are accessing the application server on the network through the access points and running the same network application provided by said application server, said application agent module starting said location acquiring apparatus to obtain the location information of said plurality of mobile nodes and judging whether the plurality of mobile nodes are neighboring according to the location information of the mobile nodes sent back by the location acquiring apparatus;
• the application agent module sending an inquiry to the plurality of mobile nodes inquiring whether they want to switch to the second communication mode to run said network application when the plurality of mobile nodes are neighboring;
• the application agent module downloading and installing the network application provided by the application server to one of the mobile nodes when all said plurality of mobile nodes agree to switch to the second communication mode;
• the client agent module on each of the plurality of mobile nodes obtaining from the application agent module corresponding parameters of each mobile node in the second communication mode;
• and
• the mobile nodes switching to the second communication mode and continuing to run the downloaded and installed network application.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing switching of a network application, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of:

• switching a network application operating in a first communication mode to a second communication mode within a wireless local area network, wherein a plurality of mobile nodes access the network through at least one access point and communicate with at least one application server to obtain at least one network application provided by said application server in the first communication mode;
• and a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes can communicate with each other directly in the second communication mode;
• the step of switching comprising the steps of:
• when the plurality of mobile nodes are accessing the application server on the network through the access points and running the same network application provided by said application server in the first communication mode, judging whether the plurality of mobile nodes are neighboring according to location information of each of said mobile nodes;
• sending an inquiry to the plurality of mobile nodes by said application server inquiring whether the plurality of mobile nodes want to switch to the second communication mode to run said network application when said plurality of mobile nodes are neighboring;
• downloading and installing the network application from said application server to one of the mobile nodes when all said plurality of mobile nodes agree to switch to the second communication mode;
• configuring each mobile node with communication parameters under the second communication mode;
• and
• switching all said mobile nodes to the second communication mode and continuing to run a downloaded and installed network application.