Attracting access terminals
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a method that includes determining an identifier of an access terminal authorized to use an access point, and transmitting a service redirection message including the identifier. The method also includes transmitting a parameter that instructs the access terminal to wake up during the particular time slot in the repeating interval.
1. A method performed by an access point comprising:
obtaining an identifier of an access terminal authorized to use the access point, the identifier being obtained from a set of identifiers of access terminals authorized to use the access point that are stored on the access point;
identifying a time slot during which the access terminal will wake from an idle state, the time slot being identified based on stored information about the access terminal;
determining that the time slot can accommodate a service redirection message based on a number of access terminals scheduled to wake during a time interval comprising the time slot; and
transmitting, by unicast, a service redirection message comprising the identifier of the access terminal, the service redirection message being unicast to the access terminal during a time that corresponds to the time slot.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service redirection message is transmitted in a time division multiplexing manner in each of several frequencies.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein transmitting the service redirection message comprises
transmitting the service redirection message within a first beacon signal at a first frequency; and
transmitting the service redirection message within a second beacon signal at a second frequency.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the service redirection message is transmitted at a same time within each of the first and second beacon signals relative to a start time of each respective beacon signal.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a registration request from the access terminal; and
providing network access to the access terminal.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises a mobile subscriber identity.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is stored in a memory of the access point.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service redirection message instructs the access terminal to operate on a frequency used by the access point.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a second service redirection message comprising an identifier of a second access terminal not authorized to use the access point.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second service redirection message is transmitted in response to receiving a registration request from the second access terminal, the registration request comprising the identifier of the second access terminal.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second service redirection message instructs the second access terminal to operate on a frequency used by a second access point.
12. An apparatus comprising:
an access point comprising a processor and a memory, the processor being programmed to:
obtain an identifier of an access terminal authorized to use the access point, the identifier being obtained from a set of identifiers of access terminals authorized to use the access point that are stored on the access point;
identify a time slot during which the access terminal will wake from an idle state, the time slot being identified based on stored information about the access terminal;
determine that the time slot can accommodate a service redirection message based on a number of access terminals scheduled to wake during a time interval comprising the time slot; and
transmit, by unicast, a service redirection message comprising the identifier of the access terminal, the service redirection message being unicast to the access terminal during a time that corresponds to the time slot.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is also programmed to transmit the service redirection message consecutively in each of several frequencies.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is also programmed:
to transmit the service redirection message within a first beacon signal at a first frequency; and
to transmit the service redirection message within a second beacon signal at a second frequency.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the service redirection message is transmitted at a same time within each of the first and second beacon signals relative to a start time of each respective beacon signal.
16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is also programmed to receive a registration request from the access terminal and to provide network access to the access terminal.
17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the identifier comprises a mobile subscriber identity.
18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the identifier is stored in a memory on the access point.
19. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the service redirection message instructs the access terminal to operate on a frequency used by the access point.
20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is also programmed to transmit a second service redirection message comprising an identifier of a second access terminal not authorized to use the access point.
21. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second service redirection message is transmitted in response to receiving a registration request from the second access terminal, the registration request comprising the identifier of the second access terminal.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the second service redirection message instructs the second access terminal to operate on a frequency used by a second access point.
23. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the access point comprises a private access point.
24. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media comprising instructions that are executable to cause an access point to:
obtain an identifier of an access terminal authorized to use the access point, the identifier being obtained from a set of identifiers of access terminals authorized to use the access point that are stored on the access point;
identify a time slot during which the access terminal will wake from an idle state, the time slot being identified based on stored information about the access terminal;
determine that the time slot can accommodate a service redirection message based on a number of access terminals scheduled to wake during a time interval comprising the time slot; and
transmit, by unicast, a service redirection message comprising the identifier of the access terminal, the service redirection message being unicast to the access terminal during a time that corresponds to the time slot.