WLAN Access Point Signaling for Network Type Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current WLAN access methods do not provide a way for access points to inform wireless endpoint devices whether a network is intended for public or private use, leading to a risk of unintentional unauthorized access, which may be considered a crime in some jurisdictions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a new parameter into wireless network access signaling to indicate whether a network is intended for public or private use, allowing access points to transmit this information to endpoint devices through existing messages like 802.11/WLAN Beacon or Probe Response frames, enabling users to differentiate between public and private networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If WLAN access signaling does not include network type information, then the signaling protocol remains simple and compatible, but users cannot differentiate between public and private networks leading to unintentional unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The network type indication is nested within existing WLAN signaling messages (Beacon frames, Probe Response frames) as a specific parameter field. This allows the additional information to be transmitted without creating a completely new signaling protocol, thereby reducing the worsening of device complexity while improving information completeness
Solution Approach 2:
A new parameter (network type indication) is added to the existing signaling messages to convey whether the network is public or private. This parameter change enables users to differentiate network types without fundamentally altering the signaling protocol structure, balancing information loss reduction with complexity increase
2Reliability
If a new parameter is added to indicate network type, then users can differentiate between public and private networks, but the signaling message structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The network type indication parameter is nested within existing standardized WLAN messages (802.11 Beacon frames, Probe Response frames). By utilizing the existing message structure and adding only a specific parameter field, the solution improves reliability through better information availability while minimizing the increase in signaling message complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The signaling messages serve multiple functions: they provide standard WLAN connection information and simultaneously convey network type indication. This multi-functionality allows the same message structure to achieve both existing purposes and the new goal of preventing unauthorized access, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for improved access signalling in a wireless local area network. The object is achieved by a method in an access point 110 for providing network access information to a wireless endpoint device 140, 142, 144. The wireless endpoint device 140, 142, 144 is located within the coverage of a wireless local area network 100. The wireless local area network 100 comprises the access point 110. The method is characterized by the step of sending 220, 540 an information message 225 to the wireless endpoint device 140,142, 144. The information message 22) comprises an access point information 205 indicating whether the wireless local area network 100 is intended for public use or private use.