Wireless local area network management
View Patent ↗Wireless local area network (WLAN) management. A novel approach is provided to associate various wireless stations (STAs) to the WLAN via appropriately selected Access Point (APs). In one implementation, a first AP services only those STAs that have functionality of a first user class (e.g., 802.11b functionality in one instance). In addition, a second AP services only those STAs that have functionality of a second user class (e.g., 802.11g functionality). The WLAN management ensures that STAs having similar characteristics (or similar functionality) are grouped together and associated with an AP that corresponds to those characteristics. For example, 802.11b STAs associate with the WLAN via an 802.11b AP. Analogously, 802.11g STAs associate with the WLAN via an 802.11g AP. When an 802.11g STA is unable to associate with the WLAN via an 802.11g AP, the STA may shift down its functionality set to 802.11b to successfully associate with the WLAN.
1. An Access Point (AP), comprising:
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) management application software that enables the AP to:
select a first user class of wireless stations (STAs) from among a plurality of STAs, wherein each STA within the plurality of STAs is within range of the AP;
select a second user class of STAs from among the plurality of STAs;
deny STAs within the first user class of STAs from associating with a WLAN via the AP; and
allow STAs within the second user class of STAs to associate with the WLAN via the AP.
2. The AP of claim 1 , wherein:
the first user class of STAs includes Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b specification operable STAs; and
the second user class of STAs includes IEEE 802.11g specification operable STAs.
3. The AP of claim 1 , wherein:
the second user class of STAs includes Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b specification operable STAs; and
the first user class of STAs includes IEEE 802.11g specification operable STAs.
4. The AP of claim 1 , wherein:
the AP is an Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b specification operable AP or an IEEE 802.11g specification operable AP.
5. The AP of claim 1 , wherein:
the AP is a first AP that is coupled to a second AP via a Distribution Service (DS) link.
6. The AP of claim 1 , wherein:
the WLAN management application software of the AP is a first WLAN management application software;
the AP is coupled to a server that includes second WLAN management application software; and
the first WLAN management application software and the second first WLAN management application software operate cooperatively to direct the denial and the association of STAs within the first class of STAs and the second class of STAs with the AP.
7. The AP of claim 1 , wherein:
the WLAN management application software of the AP is a first WLAN management application software;
the AP is a first AP that is coupled to a server that includes second WLAN management application software;
a second AP, that includes third WLAN management application software, is coupled to the server;
the second WLAN management application software that enables the second AP to:
deny STAs within the second user class of STAs from associating with the WLAN via the second AP; and
allow STAs within the first user class of STAs to associate with the WLAN via the second AP; and
the third WLAN management application software within the server directs the denial and the association of STAs within the first class of STAs and the second class of STAs with the first AP and the second AP.
8. The AP of claim 1 , wherein:
the STAs within at least one of the first class of STAs and the second class of STAs include at least one common channel parameter that is selected from Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b specification functionality, IEEE 802.11g specification functionality, a modulation type selected from Complementary Code Keying (CCK) and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), a data rate, and a quality of wireless communication link between at least one of the STAs and the AP.
9. The AP of claim 1 , wherein:
the AP is a first AP; and
a STA within the plurality of STAs transmits an associate request to the AP when a signal strength between the STA and the first AP is greater than a signal strength between the STA and a second AP.
10. The AP of claim 1 , wherein:
the AP beacons capabilities of a Basic Service Set (BSS) to each STA within the plurality of STAs.
11. The AP of claim 1 , wherein:
the WLAN management application software enables the AP to:
initially deny a STA from associating with the WLAN via the AP when the STA communicates to the AP that the STA has a first functionality; and
subsequently allow the STA to associate with the WLAN via the AP when the STA communicates to the AP that the STA has shifted down the first functionality to a second functionality.
12. An Access Point (AP), comprising:
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) management application software that enables the AP to:
beacon capabilities of a Basic Service Set (BSS) to each STA within a plurality of STAs, wherein each STA within the plurality of STAs is within range of the AP;
select a first user class of wireless stations (STAs) from among a plurality of STAs;
select a second user class of STAs from among the plurality of STAs;
deny STAs within the first user class of STAs from associating with a WLAN via the AP;
allow STAs within the second user class of STAs to associate with the WLAN via the AP; and
allow a STA within either the first user class of STAs or the second user class of STAs to associate with the WLAN via the AP when the STA communicates to the AP that the STA has shifted down functionality of the STA.
13. The AP of claim 12 , wherein:
during a first time, the WLAN management application software enables the AP to:
deny STAs within the first user class of STAs from associating with the WLAN via the AP; and
allow STAs within the second user class of STAs to associate with the WLAN via the AP; and
during a second time, the WLAN management application software enables the AP to:
deny STAs within the second user class of STAs from associating with the WLAN via the AP; and
allow STAs within the first user class of STAs to associate with the WLAN via the AP.
14. The AP of claim 12 , wherein:
the first user class of STAs includes Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b specification operable STAs; and
the second user class of STAs includes IEEE 802.11g specification operable STAs.
15. The AP of claim 12 , wherein:
the second user class of STAs includes Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b specification operable STAs; and
the first user class of STAs includes IEEE 802.11g specification operable STAs.
16. The AP of claim 12 , wherein:
the AP is an Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b specification operable AP or an IEEE 802.11g specification operable AP.
17. The AP of claim 12 , wherein:
the STAs within at least one of the first class of STAs and the second class of STAs include at least one common channel parameter that is selected from Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b specification functionality, IEEE 802.11g specification functionality, a modulation type selected from Complementary Code Keying (CCK) and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), a data rate, and a quality of wireless communication link between at least one of the STAs and the AP.
18. A method for operating an Access Point (AP), the method comprising:
beaconing capabilities of a Basic Service Set (BSS) to each STA within a plurality of STAs, wherein each STA within the plurality of STAs is within range of the AP;
selecting a first user class of wireless stations (STAs) from among a plurality of STAs;
selecting a second user class of STAs from among the plurality of STAs;
denying STAs within the first user class of STAs from associating with a WLAN via the AP; and
allowing STAs within the second user class of STAs to associate with the WLAN via the AP.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
the first user class of STAs includes Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b specification operable STAs; and
the second user class of STAs includes IEEE 802.11g specification operable STAs.
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
initially denying a STA from associating with the WLAN via the AP when the STA communicates to the AP that the STA has a first functionality; and
subsequently allowing the STA to associate with the WLAN via the AP when the STA communicates to the AP that the STA has shifted down the first functionality to a second functionality.