Wireless Service Transaction Protocol for Pre-Association Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless network protocols, such as ANQP, do not allow for the discovery of third-party services without prior network association, necessitating disconnection and reconnection to find suitable networks.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Service Transaction Protocol (STP) that enables service discovery and information retrieval from wireless networks before association, using an advertisement protocol like GAS or EAP, allowing free-form queries and pre-association communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If ANQP protocol is used for network information discovery, then network information can be obtained before association, but third-party service information cannot be discovered without prior network association
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables service discovery information to be obtained before network association through pre-association state communications. The access point stores service information in advance and makes it available during the pre-association state, allowing mobile devices to discover third-party services without needing to establish a full network connection first.
Solution Approach 2:
The access point acts as an intermediary that bridges the mobile device and third-party services. It stores service information locally and provides it to mobile devices during pre-association state, eliminating the need for direct connection between the device and service provider while enabling comprehensive service discovery.
2Loss of information
If network association is established to discover services, then complete service information can be obtained, but unnecessary connections are formed increasing network traffic and power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
Service information is made available in the pre-association state before full network connection is established. This allows mobile devices to retrieve necessary service information without completing the full association process, thereby reducing power consumption and avoiding unnecessary network connections while still obtaining complete service discovery data.
3Loss of information
If network association is established to discover services, then complete service information can be obtained, but network switching time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Service information is provided during the pre-association state, allowing mobile devices to evaluate available services and select target networks before establishing full connections. This eliminates the need for connection-establishment-and-disconnection cycles when switching networks, significantly reducing network switching time while ensuring complete service information is available for decision-making.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile device may retrieve service information about a network prior to associating with the network. Utilizing an advertisement protocol to transmit service query messages, a mobile device may receive service query responses from a network that identify the services available prior to establishing network capability. In other words, the messaging is prior to the exchange of any authentication parameters between the device and the network as well prior to the establishment of a recognized session between the device and the network.