IP Library Granted Patent US 11,943,703
Granted Patent B2
US 11,943,703 · App. 17/808,673 · Granted Mar 26, 2024

Network address policy information received in a pre-associated state

Inventors: Stephen McCann (Southampton, GB); Michael Peter Montemurro (Toronto, CA); James Randolph Winter Lepp (Ottawa, CA)
Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited
H04W48/16H04L41/0893H04L2101/622H04W84/12H04W88/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,943,703
App. No.
17/808,673
Granted
Mar 26, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some examples, a wireless device includes a communication interface to communicate with a wireless network, and at least one processor configured to, receive, from an access point (AP), information including a network address policy of the wireless network. The at least one processor is configured to further, in response to the information including the network address policy, use an address of the wireless device according to the network address policy.

Claims (31)

1. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that upon execution cause a wireless device to:

receive an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) message from an access point (AP), wherein the ANQP message comprises information of a wireless network including a network address policy of the wireless network, and the network address policy governs setting of a Medium Access Control (MAC) address for the wireless device; and

in response to the information including the network address policy, use an address of the wireless device according to the network address policy.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the information including the network address policy is settable to one of a plurality of values to indicate one of a plurality of different network address policies.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of values comprise a first value indicating use of the address of the wireless device with at least a portion of the address assigned according to a Structured Local Address Plan (SLAP).

4. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the first value indicates that a second portion of the address of the wireless device is one of randomly assigned, assigned according to another standard, or assigned by a network administrator.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of values further comprise a second value indicating use of a random address of the wireless device.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of values further comprise a second value indicating use of a global address of the wireless device.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the information including the network address policy is contained in a wireless local area network (WLAN) discovery message.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the ANQP message is received when the wireless device is in a pre-associated state.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the wireless device to:

receive a beacon containing information including a network address policy.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the wireless device to:

receive a probe response containing information including a network address policy.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the wireless device to:

in response to the information including the network address policy, send a request to the AP; and

receive, from the AP in response to the request, further information about the network address policy,

wherein the address of the wireless device according to the network address policy that is used is based on the further information.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the wireless device to:

receive, from a network node, an indication that the address of the wireless device is a duplicate of another address already used in the wireless device or the wireless network.

13. A method of an access point (AP), comprising:

sending, to a wireless device, an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) message comprising information including a network address policy of a wireless network, to cause the wireless device to use an address of the wireless device according to the network address policy, wherein the network address policy governs setting of a Medium Access Control (MAC) address for the wireless device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the information including the network address policy is settable to one of a plurality of values to indicate one of a plurality of different network address policies.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of values comprise a first value indicating use of the address of the wireless device with a first portion of the address of the wireless device assigned according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802c-2017 standard, and a second portion of the address of the wireless device randomly assigned.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of values comprise a first value indicating use of the address of the wireless device with a first portion of the address assigned according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802c- 2017 standard, and a second portion of the address of the wireless device assigned by another standard.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of values comprise a first value indicating use of the address with a first portion of the address of the wireless device assigned according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802c- 2017 standard, and a second portion of the address of the wireless device assigned by a network administrator.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the address of the wireless device is duplicative of an address used by another wireless device, sending, to the wireless device or the another wireless device, a duplicated address indication.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that upon execution cause an access point to:

send, to a wireless device, an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) message comprising information including a network address policy of a wireless network, to cause the wireless device to use an address of the wireless device according to the network address policy, wherein the network address policy governs setting of a Medium Access Control (MAC) address for the wireless device.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the information including the network address policy is settable to one of a plurality of values to indicate one of a plurality of different network address policies.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
Reel/Frame 064007/0061 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064015/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
Reel/Frame 063269/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2022
From: MONTEMURRO, MICHAEL PETER; LEPP, JAMES RANDOLPH WINTER
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 060303/0750 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2022
From: MCCANN, STEPHEN
To: BLACKBERRY UK LIMITED
Reel/Frame 060303/0871 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2022
From: BLACKBERRY UK LIMITED
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 060303/0883 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16990367 · Aug 11, 2020
Continuation 16010607 · Jun 18, 2018
Related Publication 20220322218A1 · Oct 6, 2022