METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONFIGURING LINK IN WIRELESS LAN SYSTEM

Abstract

A method and device for configuring a link in a wireless LAN system are disclosed. The wireless link configuration method comprises the steps of: generating a probe request message including wireless service requirements; transmitting the probe request message; and receiving a probe response message, which is a response to the probe request message, from a wireless access device satisfying the wireless service requirements. Therefore, a time for configuring a link between wireless LAN devices can be reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] A variety of example embodiments according to the present invention generally relate to configuration of a wireless link, and more specifically to methods and devices for rapidly configuring an initial link in a wireless local area networking (WLAN) system.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Currently, according to wide distribution of mobile stations, a wireless local area networking (WLAN) technology which can provide faster wireless internet services to the mobile stations is becoming remarkable. The WLAN technology is a technology which can make mobile stations such as smart phones, smart pads, laptop computers, portable multimedia players, embedded devices, etc. able to wirelessly access an internet in home, company, or specific service provision areas, based on wireless communication technologies.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

[0003] The present invention is to provide methods for rapidly performing a wireless access by considering performance of a backhaul network through which wireless access stations are connected.

Technical Solution

[0004] In order to achieve the purposes of the present invention, according to an example embodiment according to the present invention, a method may be provided for configuring a wireless link, and performed in a mobile station. The method may comprise generating a probe request message including requirements of a wireless service; transmitting the probe request message; and receiving a probe response message from a wireless access station satisfying the requirement in response to the probe request message.

[0005] Here, the requirements may include at least one of a transmission power level, a transmission latency time, manufacturer requirements, and an internet access speed.

[0006] In order to achieve the purposes of the present invention, according to another example embodiment according to the present invention, a method may be provided for configuring a wireless link, and performed in a wireless access station. The method may comprise receiving a probe request message from a mobile station; obtaining requirements of a wireless service from the probe request message; and transmitting a probe response message in response to the probe request message, when a service supported by the wireless access station satisfies the requirements.

[0007] Here, the probe response message may not be transmitted in response to the probe request message when the service supported by the wireless access station does not satisfy the requirements.

[0008] Here, the requirements may include at least one of a transmission power level, a transmission latency time, manufacturer requirements, and an internet access speed.

Advantageous Effects

[0009] According to example embodiments of the present invention, a time needed for configuring wireless links between WLAN devices can be reduced when a large number of WLAN devices request wireless link configurations in a congested area. Especially, according to example embodiments of the present invention, a mobile station may reduce a time needed for configuring wireless links by obtaining information of a wireless access station in advance.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates an example configuration of a WLAN system to which embodiments of the present invention can be applied.

[0011] FIG. 2 conceptually illustrate a step in which MS configures a link with AP according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates a passive scanning step of MS related to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 4 illustrates an active scanning step of MS related to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a block diagram which conceptually illustrates a mobile station (MS) 100 related to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a block diagram which conceptually illustrates an access point 200 related to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 7 illustrates a packet structure of a beacon message transmitted by AP according to the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 8 illustrates a packet structure of a probe request message transmitted by MS according to the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 9 illustrates a packet structure of a probe response message transmitted by AP according to the present invention.

MODE FOR INVENTION

[0019] Since embodiments described in the present specification are intended to clearly describe the spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, the present invention is not limited to those embodiments described in the present specification, and it should be understood that the scope of the present invention includes changes or modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0020] The terms and attached drawings used in the present specification are intended to easily describe the present invention and shapes shown in the drawings are exaggerated to help the understanding of the present invention if necessary, and thus the present invention is not limited by the terms used in the present specification and the attached drawings.

[0021] In the present specification, detailed descriptions of known configurations or functions related to the present invention which have been deemed to make the gist of the present invention unnecessarily obscure will be omitted below.

[0022] Hereinafter, a method and a device for fast accesses between WLAN devices using a plurality of communication channels according to embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0023] Among standards of WLAN technologies, standardization on Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical (PHY) layers are going on in an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 working group.

[0024] FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates an example configuration of a WLAN system to which embodiments of the present invention can be applied.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, the WLAN system may include one or more basic service sets (BSS) 211 and 221. The BSS 211 or 221 is a set of stations which can communicate with each other, and managed by an access point (AP) 210 or 220. A mobile station (MS) 110 or 120 may perform a role of providing wireless internet services to a user by accessing the AP 210 or 220 according to IEEE 802.11 WLAN standards.

[0026] The BSS 211 or 221 may be classified into an infrastructure BSS and an independent BSS, and the infrastructure BSS is illustrated in FIG. 1. The BSS-1 211 is managed and operated by the AP-1 210, and one or more MSs including MS-1 110 and MS-2 120 may receive WLAN services through the AP-1 210. Also, the AP-1 210 is connected to the AP-2 220 through a distribution system (DS) 300. The BSSs 211 and 221 connected through the DS 300 may form an extended service set (ESS) 410. Since the detail of configurations of WLAN systems is described in the standard specifications such as IEEE 802.11-2012 (Mar. 29, 202), explanation on the detail will be omitted herein. The contents of the standard specifications may be combined to the present description for reference.

[0027] FIG. 2 conceptually illustrate a step in which MS configures a link with AP according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 2, a procedure for MS 100 to access AP 200 may comprise three steps--scanning, authentication, and association. The scanning step is a step in which the MS 100 obtains access information of a BSS operated by the AP 200. For the scanning, there are a passive scanning technique S101 that obtains information by using beacon messages which are periodically transmitted by the AP, and an active scanning technique in which the MS transmits a probe request to the AP (S103), receives a probe response from the AP (S105), and obtains access information from the probe response.

[0029] The MS 100 which successfully receives the wireless access information in the scanning step may perform the authentication step by transmitting an authentication request (S107a) and receiving an authentication response (S107b). After successful completion of the authentication step in the IEEE 802.11 layer, the association step (S109a and S109b) may be performed. In addition, authentication based on 802.1X (S111) and a step of obtaining IP address through DHCP (S113) may be performed.

[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates a passive scanning step of MS related to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 3, the MS-1 110 according to the present invention may obtain wireless access information or respective APs by receiving beacon message which are periodically transmitted by AP-1 210 and AP-2 220 located adjacently.

[0032] FIG. 4 illustrates an active scanning step of MS related to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 4, the MS-1 110 according to the present invention may transmits a probe request message to obtain information of APs located adjacently, and obtain wireless access information of respective APs by receiving the corresponding probe response messages from AP-1 210 and AP-2 220.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a block diagram which conceptually illustrates a mobile station (MS) 100 related to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 5, the MS 100 according to the present invention may comprise at least one network interface cards (NIC) 111 to 119 performing a WLAN access through an AP. The network interface cards 111 to 119, modules for performing WLAN access, may be embedded within the MS or installed in outside of the MS. The network interface cards 111 to 119 may perform wireless communications with the AP according to respective supported WLAN specifications. Also, among the network interface cards 111 to 119, only one NIC may operate at a time or a plurality of NICs may simultaneously operate according to performance of the MS 100 or system requirements. In the MS 100 of FIG. 5, the multiple NICs 111 to 119 are illustrated as separated, and MAC and PHY layers of each NIC may operate independently from each other. These NICs 111 to 119 may be implemented as a functional entity which can be separated physically or as a single integrated physical entity.

[0036] A mobile communication module 120 may make the MS 100 transmit and receive wireless signals to/from an external device in a mobile communication network.

[0037] A user interface part 130 may make commands for controlling the MS 100 be input by a user.

[0038] A display part 140 may display results from operations of the MS 100, status of the MS 100, and information provided by the AP.

[0039] A memory part 150 may store access program codes for controlling access to the AP, and various data for the program codes.

[0040] A control part 160 may perform a role of controlling each of the NICs 111 to 119 to make the MS 100 try to access the AP through an appropriate frequency band by using access information provided by the AP and user/system requirements.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a block diagram which conceptually illustrates an access point 200 related to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 6, the AP 200 according to the present invention may comprise at least one network interface cards (NIC) 211 to 219 for operating BSS in one or more frequency bands. The network interface cards 211 to 219, modules for performing WLAN access, may be embedded within the AP 200 or installed in outside of the AP 200. The NICs 211 to 219 may perform wireless communications with the MS according to respective supported WLAN specifications. Also, among the network interface cards 211 to 219, only one NIC may operate at a time or a plurality of NICs may simultaneously operate according to performance of the AP 200 or system requirements. In the AP 200 of FIG. 6, a plurality of NICs 211 to 219 are illustrated as separated, and MAC and PHY layers of each NIC may operate independently from each other. These NICs 211 to 219 may be implemented as a functional entity which can be separated physically or as a single integrated physical entity.

[0043] A memory part 250 may store access program codes for controlling access from mobile stations, and various data for the program codes.

[0044] A control part 260 may perform a role of controlling each of the NICs 211 to 219 to make the AP 200 process access from MS through an appropriate frequency band by using access information for multiple frequency bands and user/system requirements.

[0045] The mobile station explained by referring to FIG. 5 and the wireless access station explained by referring to FIG. 6 may perform operations as follows. The mobile station wanting to access the wireless access station may generate a probe request message including requirements of a wireless service. Here, the requirements of the wireless service may include at least one of a transmission power level, a transmission latency time, manufacturer requirements, and an internet access speed. The mobile station may transmit the probe request message including the requirements.

[0046] Meanwhile, the wireless access station may receive the probe request message transmitted by the mobile station, and obtain the requirements of the wireless service included in the probe request message. The wireless access station may determine whether a service supported by it satisfies the requirements demanded by the mobile station, and determine whether to transmit a probe response message which is a response to the probe request message based on the determination result.

[0047] For example, a probe response message may be transmitted when all of the requirements are satisfied. That is, when a service supported by the wireless access station satisfies all of the requirements, the wireless access station may transmit a probe response message in response to the probe request message. On the contrary, when a service supported by the wireless access station does not satisfy at least one of the requirements, the wireless access station may not transmit the probe response message in response to the probe request message.

[0048] As another example, a probe response message may be transmitted when a predetermined number of the requirements are satisfied. That is, when service supported by the wireless access station satisfies a predetermined number of the requirements, the wireless access station may transmit a probe response message in response to the probe request message. On the contrary, when a service supported by the wireless access station does not satisfy a predetermined number of the requirements, the wireless access station may not transmit the probe response message in response to the probe request message.

[0049] Then, the mobile station may receive the probe response message transmitted from a wireless access station satisfying the requirements of the wireless service. After then, the mobile station may perform au authentication step and an association step so as to access the wireless access station.

[0050] FIG. 7 illustrates a packet structure of a beacon message transmitted by AP according to the present invention.

[0051] FIG. 8 illustrates a packet structure of a probe request message transmitted by

[0052] MS according to the present invention.

[0053] FIG. 9 illustrates a packet structure of a probe response message transmitted by

[0054] AP according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a wireless link, performed in a mobile station, the method comprising: generating a probe request message including requirements of a wireless service; transmitting the probe request message; and receiving a probe response message from a wireless access station satisfying the requirements in response to the probe request message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the requirements include at least one of a transmission power level, a transmission latency time, manufacturer requirements, and an internet access speed.

3. A method for configuring a wireless link, performed in a wireless access station, the method comprising: receiving a probe request message from a mobile station; obtaining requirements of a wireless service from the probe request message; and transmitting a probe response message in response to the probe request message, when a service supported by the wireless access station satisfies the requirements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the probe response message is not transmitted in response to the probe request message when the service supported by the wireless access station does not satisfy the requirements.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the requirements include at least one of a transmission power level, a transmission latency time, manufacturer requirements, and an internet access speed.