Apparatus, system and method of performing a wireless association

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016286542-A1
Application number	US-201514669466-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 26, 2015
Priority date	Mar 26, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of performing a wireless association. For example, a mobile device may include a radio to receive from a wireless communication station a frame including an association capability indication, the association capability indication to indicate a capability of the wireless communication station to perform a wireless association; and a controller to initiate an association procedure with the wireless communication station based on the capability information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mobile device comprising:
a radio to receive from a wireless communication station a frame including an association capability indication, said association capability indication to indicate a capability of said wireless communication station to perform a wireless association, the association capability indication comprising a first indication value when the wireless communication station comprises a Time of Flight (ToF) responder to perform a ToF measurement procedure without performing the wireless association, the association capability indication comprising a second indication value when the wireless communication station comprises an Access Point (AP) with capability to perform the wireless association; and a controller to select whether to initiate an association procedure with said wireless communication station based on whether said capability information comprises the first indication value or the second indication value.

2 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said controller is to initiate said association procedure with said wireless communication station only if the association capability indication is to indicate said wireless communication station is capable to perform said wireless association.

3 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said association capability indication comprises a bit in a reserved field of said frame.

4 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said frame comprises a beacon frame.

5 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said frame comprises a probe response frame.

6 . The mobile device of claim 5 , wherein said radio is to send a probe request frame to said wireless communication station, and to receive said probe response frame in response to said probe request frame.

7 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein said radio is to perform the (ToF) measurement procedure with said wireless communication station.

8 . The mobile device of claim 1 comprising one or more antennas, a processor, and a memory.

9 . A wireless communication station comprising:
a message processor to generate a frame including an association capability indication, said association capability indication to indicate whether or not said wireless communication station is capable to perform a wireless association, the message processor configured to select to set the association capability indication to a first indication value if the wireless communication station comprises a Time of Flight (ToF) responder to perform a ToF measurement procedure without performing the wireless association, the message processor configured to set the association capability indication to a second indication value if the wireless communication station comprises an Access Point (AP) with capability to perform the wireless association; and a radio to transmit said frame.

10 . The wireless communication station of claim 9 , wherein said association capability indication comprises a bit in a reserved field of said frame.

11 . The wireless communication station of claim 9 , wherein said frame comprises a beacon frame.

12 . The wireless communication station of claim 9 , wherein said frame comprises a probe response frame.

13 . The wireless communication station of claim 12 , wherein said radio is to receive a probe request frame, and to transmit said probe response frame in response to said probe request frame.

14 . The wireless communication station of claim 9 comprising the Access Point.

15 . The wireless communication station of claim 14 , wherein said message processor is to generate said frame including said association capability indication to indicate said wireless communication station is capable to perform said wireless association.

16 . The wireless communication station of claim 9 comprising (the ToF) responder.

17 . The wireless communication station of claim 16 , wherein said message processor is to generate said frame including said association capability indication to indicate said wireless communication station is not capable to perform said wireless association.

18 . The wireless communication station of claim 9 comprising one or more antennas, a processor, and a memory.

19 . A product including one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at least one computer processor to implement operations at a mobile device, the operations comprising:
generating a probe request frame including an indication that a wireless communication station receiving the probe request frame is to respond to said probe request frame only when the wireless communication station comprises an Access Point (AP) capable to perform a wireless association, and that the wireless communication station is not to respond to said probe request frame when the wireless communication station comprises a Time of Flight (ToF) responder to perform a ToF measurement procedure without performing the wireless association; and transmitting said probe request frame.

20 . The product of claim 19 , wherein said operations comprises receiving from a wireless device a probe response frame in response to said probe request frame, said probe response frame including an association capability indication to indicate that said wireless device is capable to perform said wireless association.

21 . The product of claim 20 , wherein said operations comprises associating with said wireless device based on said probe response frame.

22 . The product of claim 19 , wherein said indication comprises a bit in an extended capabilities information element of said probe request frame.

23 . A product including one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at least one computer processor to implement operations at a wireless communication station, the operations comprising:
receiving from a mobile device a probe request frame including an indication that a wireless device receiving the probe request frame is to respond to said probe request frame only when the wireless device comprises an Access Point (AP) capable to perform a wireless association, and that the wireless device is not to respond to said probe request frame when the wireless device comprises a Time of Flight (ToF) responder to perform a ToF measurement procedure without performing the wireless association; and transmitting a probe response frame to said mobile device if said wireless communication station comprises the AP is capable to perform said wireless association.

24 . The product of claim 23 , wherein said operations comprises transmitting said probe response frame including an association capability indication to indicate that said wireless communication station is capable to perform said wireless association.

25 . The product of claim 23 , wherein said wireless communication station comprises the ToF responder, which is not capable to perform said wireless association, wherein said operations comprises processing said probe request frame and selecting not to respond to said probe request frame.

Assignees

• Intel Ip Corp

Inventors

• Steiner Itai
• Levy Matan

Classifications

• H04W48/16

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04W24/08 Primary

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title

• H04W48/20 Primary

  Selecting an access point · CPC title

• H04W72/048 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic