Region Descriptor Server for Wireless Network Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Client equipment in geographic regions with multiple wireless networks faces challenges in selecting legitimate access points, as illegitimate access points can broadcast valid network identifiers, leading to security risks and performance issues due to the saturation of radio channels from frequent beacon frames.
Innovation Solution
A region descriptor server provides trusted information about wireless networks, including their names, security parameters, and performance details, allowing client equipment to select suitable networks without sending probe requests or beacon frames, thus ensuring legitimacy and reducing channel saturation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If client equipment uses beacon frames and probe requests to discover wireless networks, then network discovery capability is improved, but radio channel saturation and security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a region descriptor server as an intermediary between client equipment and wireless networks. The server maintains and distributes trusted information about wireless networks in a geographic region, allowing clients to discover networks without broadcasting beacon frames or sending probe requests over the radio channel. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by enabling network discovery while avoiding radio channel saturation and security vulnerabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The region descriptor server performs preliminary actions by pre-collecting, verifying, and storing information about wireless networks before clients need to discover them. Network identifiers, security parameters, and legitimacy information are prepared in advance and made available to clients through unicast communications, eliminating the need for clients to perform risky discovery procedures on the radio channel.
2Loss of information
If multiple access points broadcast beacon frames frequently, then network visibility is improved, but radio channel performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The region descriptor server acts as a central intermediary that consolidates network information that would otherwise be distributed through numerous beacon frames. Instead of each access point broadcasting information independently, the server collects and distributes network descriptors through efficient unicast communications to interested clients, dramatically reducing radio channel traffic while maintaining complete network visibility.
3Loss of time
If client equipment selects access points without trusted information, then connection speed is improved, but security reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The region descriptor server performs preliminary verification of network legitimacy and prepares trusted information about security parameters before clients need to connect. Network identifiers and security credentials are pre-validated and stored in the server, allowing clients to quickly select secure networks without performing time-consuming security assessments, thus achieving both fast connection and high security reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the region descriptor server provides clients with verified information about network legitimacy and security parameters. This feedback loop ensures clients can make informed decisions about which networks to join, receiving guidance on secure connections without sacrificing connection speed.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a region descriptor server (14) for a group of wireless networks, said group comprising at least one wireless network (12, 13) of a geographical region (11) where a client equipment (10) is situated, said server being characterized in that it comprises means (142) for sending the client equipment, in response to a request (si), a description (r2) of said at least one wireless network of said group, said description comprising the name of said wireless network and an information text relating to said wireless network.