The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 20, 2009
Filed:
Aug. 02, 2002
Robert Whelan, Kirkland, WA (US);
Lamar Van Wagenen, Sandy, UT (US);
Roy Morris, Bothell, WA (US);
Wavelink Corporation, Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
The present invention allows any number of mobile units to roam between a large numbers of sub-networks, each with a large number of access points (tens of thousands or more total access points), with minimal direct administration effort. A hierarchy of management servers may be used across the multiple sub-networks, which can be under the control of multiple entities. The invention provides the capability for the mobile units to authenticate the access points associated with, to ensure they are both authorized and managed. Peer-to-peer and ad hoc associations between mobile units are managed as well. The invention may enforce a number of association policies such as, for example, forcing the mobile unit to only associate with access points or mobile units on a previously set mandatory association list, providing the mobile unit with a list of preferred access points to associate with, but allowing association with other access points, or providing the mobile unit with a excluded association list of access points or mobile units it is not to associate with.