Granted Patent B2

US 7,647,048 · App. 11/095,059 · Granted Jan 12, 2010

Abstract

Claims (39)

1. A method of identifying at least one hidden network associated with an access point and at least one visible network associated with the access point, the method comprising:

accessing, at an authorized user, an identifier of the access point in response to detecting said at least one visible network;

providing, from the authorized user to a server, a request for a list of network identifiers of said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network, said request including the access point identifier;

selecting, using the list provided to the authorized user by the server in response to the request, one of said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network to connect the authorized user to a wireless local area network;

defining a single hidden network in a preferred list using the list provided to the authorized user by the server maintained by an operating system based on one or more definition parameters;

treating said at least one of one or more hidden and visible networks as a group to allow at least one of said at least one of one or more hidden and visible networks in said group to be defined in the preferred list of said operating system; and

upon selection of said at least one of said at least one of one or more hidden and visible networks in said group, automatically removing all other networks of said group from the preferred list of said operating system, while retaining one or more definition parameters of the removed networks in a local storage.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein selecting one of said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network to connect said authorized user further comprising:

automatically selecting one of said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network to connect said authorized user in a mobile environment including a multiplicity of access points that supports said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein selecting said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network to connect said authorized user to further comprising:

in response to detecting said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network, enabling said authorized user to manually select said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network to connect said authorized user in a mobile environment including a multiplicity of access points that supports said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein selecting said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network further comprising:

upon detecting said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network, identifying an identifier of said access point; and

requesting a server associated with a central entity including a network operator or a service provider to provide information about said access point based on said identifier of said access point.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether or not a network from another access point is in a range of a client device, and an identifier that said another access point broadcasts is equal to one of the networks in said group; and

if so, excluding said identifier of said another access point from the preferred list of said operating system.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 5 , further comprising:

combining all grouped networks of a multiplicity of access points that supports said Wi-Fi network and said first visible network and visible in a mobile environment to assure that no network other than the one to be selected is defined in the preferred list of said operating system.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

enabling said authorized user to retrieve information about said network.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

using a local server on said wireless local area network with a public visible service set identifier to obtain provisioning information.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

using an automatically discovered server to obtain provisioning information.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

using at least one of a local server on said wireless local area network with a public visible service set identifier and an automatically discovered server at said access point besides a central server to obtain provisioning information.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

automatically retrieving information in a mobile environment, for said Wi-Fi network, on all of visible access points of a multiplicity of access points within a range without informing said authorized user of a client software about organization or configuration of said network or said access point in advance; and

distributing one or more configuration updates for said network or said access point.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , further comprising:

defining a group of networks belonging to said access point.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 12 , further comprising:

combining one or more groups of said multiplicity of access points in the vicinity of said client software; and

selecting one of said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network without using additional knowledge of said authorized user.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

allowing one or more network administrators to reorganize infrastructure associated with said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network as desired.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

allowing said authorized user or said client software to detect and select one of said at least one hidden network and said at least one visible network, regardless of organization of said at least one of one or more hidden and visible networks in the vicinity of said client software.

Assignments (9)