Specifying link layer information in a url

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022255834-A1
Application number	US-202217732495-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 28, 2022
Priority date	Feb 13, 2013
Publication date	Aug 11, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system of specifying link layer information in a URL is described. In an embodiment, a URL is generated which includes both a link layer network type and information which is used by a resolving device to identify a particular link layer network of the specified type. In various embodiments, the URL includes a link layer network type and a corresponding link layer network name or pairs of link layer network types and corresponding link layer network names. Where the URL comprises more than one link layer network name, the resolving device may determine at runtime which of the named link layer networks to connect to and this decision may be based on criteria or preference information included within the URL.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, at a resolving device, a URL specifying, within metadata of the URL, at least two networks comprising a first network name corresponding to a first network and a second network name corresponding to a second network, credentials for accessing each of the at least two networks, and criteria for selecting between the first network and second network based on network bandwidth or signal strength; identifying available networks to the resolving device, the available networks comprising the first network and the second network; and directing the resolving device to access the content by connecting to the first network based on the network bandwidth or the signal strength specified in the criteria.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata comprises at least one parameter for accessing the first network.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the URL wherein the first network comprises a WiFi access point.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the URL is transmitted by way of at least one of: e-mail, instant messaging, social networking, Bluetooth, near-field communication, infra-red, visual code, or a visual code that is readable by the resolving device.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the URL comprises an identifier of the first network name.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the URL or the metadata further comprises selection criteria for use by the resolving device in selecting a link layer network name from the first network and the second network specified in the metadata.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network name comprises an unsecured network name designating an unsecured network.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising directing the resolving device to use the URL to access the content using the first network based on the location of the resolving device.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more credentials comprise a one-time key for the first network.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising directing the resolving device to use the URL to access the content using the first network based on a time of day additionally specified in the URL.

11 . A method comprising:
generating a URL at an originating device, the URL specifying, within metadata of the URL, at least two networks comprising a first network name corresponding to a first network and a second network name corresponding to a second network, credentials for accessing each of the at least two networks, and criteria for selecting between the first network and second network based on network bandwidth or signal strength, the URL being usable by a resolving device to select a network based on the criteria and access the content using one of the at least two networks; and transmitting the URL and metadata with the first network name, the second network name, the credentials, and the criteria for selecting between the first network and the second network based on the network bandwidth or the signal strength for use in ensuring that the resolving device is able to access the content.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising sharing the URL with the resolving device.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the URL wherein the first network comprises a WiFi access point.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the URL is transmitted by way of at least one of: e-mail, instant messaging, social networking, Bluetooth, near-field communication, infra-red, visual code, or a visual code that is readable by the resolving device.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the URL comprises an identifier of a secured network name as being associated with a first network that is secure for accessing the content.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the URL further comprises selection criteria for use by the resolving device in selecting one link layer network name from the secured network and the unsecured network.

17 . The resolving device of claim 16 , wherein the criteria additionally comprises a preferred link layer network name for selecting between the first network and the second network.

18 . The resolving device of claim 11 , wherein the metadata further comprises one or more additional rules for the resolving device to connect to either the first network or the second network, the one or more additional rules comprising at least one member of a group comprising: time of day or characteristics of the content.

19 . A system, comprising:
one or more servers configured to:
generate a URL at an originating device, the URL specifying, within metadata of the URL, at least two networks comprising a first network name corresponding to a first network and a second network name corresponding to a second network, credentials for accessing each of the at least two networks, and criteria for selecting between the first network and second network based on at least one of quality of service, time of day, characteristics of content at or to be uploaded to the URL, or credentials for the resolving device to use in accessing the at least two networks, the URL being usable by a resolving device to select a network based on the criteria and access the content using one of the at least two networks, and
transmit the URL and metadata with the first network name, the second network name, the credentials, and the criteria for selecting between the first network and the second network based on the network bandwidth or the signal strength for use in ensuring that the resolving device is able to access the content.

20 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the one or more servers comprising hardware logic selected from any one or more of: a field-programmable gate array, a program-specific integrated circuit, a program-specific standard product, a system-on-a-chip, or a complex programmable logic device.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Scott James W
• Villar Nicolas
• Hodges Stephen E

Classifications

• H04L45/00 Primary

  Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks (routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00) · CPC title

• H04W12/50 Primary

  Secure pairing of devices · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W12/77

  Graphical identity · CPC title

• H04L69/321

  Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers · CPC title