System and method for basic service set association

1. A method of associating in a basic service set (BSS), the method comprising:

receiving, by a first node from a second node, a first packet comprising at least one of a second traffic type indicator or a second device type indicator;

comparing at least one of:

the second traffic type indicator with a first traffic type accepted by the first node, and

the second device type indicator with a first device type of the first node;

determining whether association is pursued in accordance with the comparing;

indicating, by the first node to the second node, whether association is pursued;

attaching the first node to the second node when association is pursued; and

not attaching the first node to the second node when association is not pursued.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein association is pursued when the first traffic type accepted by the first node is only sensor traffic and the second traffic type indicator indicates only sensor traffic is accepted by the second node.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein association is pursued when the first traffic type accepted by the first node is only offloading traffic and the second traffic type indicator indicates only offloading traffic is accepted by the second node.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein association is pursued when the first traffic type accepted by the first node is both sensor traffic and offloading traffic and the second traffic type indicator indicates sensor traffic or offloading traffic is accepted by the second node.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first node is an access point, and wherein the second node is a first station.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving, by the access point from a second station, a second packet comprising at least one of a third traffic type indicator or a third device type indicator;

second comparing at least one of:

the third traffic type indicator with the first traffic type accepted by the first node, and

the third device type indicator with the first device type of the first node; and

indicating, by the access point to the second station, whether association is pursued in accordance with the second comparing.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first packet comprises an association request comprising the second traffic type indicator, and wherein indicating whether association is pursued comprises transmitting, by the access point to the first station, an association response.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first packet comprises a probe request comprising the second traffic type indicator, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting, by the access point to the first station, a probe response only when association is pursued.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein indicating whether association is pursued comprises transmitting, by the access point to the first station, the probe response comprising an indicator of association status.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

changing the first traffic type accepted by the access point to a third traffic type accepted by the access point, wherein the first traffic type does not equal the third traffic type; and

disassociating, by the access point from the first station.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first node is a station, and wherein the second node is an access point.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first packet comprises a beacon frame comprising a BSS traffic type indicator, and wherein indicating whether association is pursued comprises transmitting, by the station to the access point, an association request.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first packet comprises a probe response comprising a BSS traffic type indicator, wherein indicating whether association is pursued comprises transmitting, by the station to the access point, an association request, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting by the station to the access point a probe request.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, by the station from the access point, a disassociation request frame; and

disassociating, by the station, from the access point.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first packet comprises an indicator of a time window when the access point accepts the second traffic type.

16. A method of associating in a basic service set (BSS), the method comprising:

transmitting, by a first node to a second node, a first packet, wherein the first node accepts a first traffic type, wherein the first node is a first device type, and wherein the first packet comprises at least one of a first traffic type indicator or a first device type indicator;

receiving, by the first node from the second node, a message comprising an indication indicating whether association is pursued in accordance with the first traffic type and a second traffic type accepted by the second node, or in accordance with the first device type and a second device type of the second node;

attaching the first node to the second node when the indication indicates association is pursued; and

not attaching the first node to the second node when the indication indicates association is not pursued.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein association is pursued when the first traffic type accepted by the first node is only sensor traffic and the second traffic type accepted by the second node is only sensor traffic.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein association is pursued when the first traffic type accepted by the first node is only offloading traffic and the second traffic type accepted by the second node is only offloading traffic.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein association is pursued when the first traffic type accepted by the first node comprises sensor traffic or offloading traffic, and the second traffic type accepted by the second node is both sensor traffic and offloading traffic.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first node is a station, and wherein the second node is an access point.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first node is an access point, and wherein the second node is a station.

22. A first wireless communications node, wherein the first wireless communications node comprises:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to

receive, by the first wireless communications node from a second wireless communications node, a first packet comprising at least one of a second traffic type indicator or a second device type indicator,

compare at least one of:

the second traffic type indicator with a first traffic type accepted by the first node, and

the second device type indicator with a first device type of the first node,

determine whether association is pursued in accordance with the compare,

indicate, by the first wireless communications node to the second wireless communications node, whether association is pursued,

attach the first wireless communications node to the second wireless communications node when association is pursued, and

not attach the first wireless communications node to the second wireless communications node when association is not pursued.

23. A first wireless communications node, wherein the first wireless communications node comprises:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to

transmit, to a second wireless communications node, a first packet, wherein the first node accepts a first traffic type, wherein the first node is a first device type, and wherein the first packet comprises at least one of a first traffic type indicator or a first device type indicator,

receive, from the second node, a message comprising an indication indicating whether association is pursued in accordance with the first traffic type and a second traffic type accepted by the second wireless communications node, or in accordance with the first device type and a second device type of the second wireless communications node,

attach the first wireless communications node to the second wireless communications node when the indication indicates association is pursued, and

not attach the first wireless communications node to the second wireless communications node when association is not pursued.