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Station mobility between access pointsRelated Patent Categories: Multiplex Communications, Communication Over Free Space, Having A Plurality Of Contiguous Regions Served By Respective Fixed Stations, Channel Assignment, Hand-off ControlStation mobility between access points description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070189222, Station mobility between access points. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND [0001] Transparent mobility permits a wireless station to be handed off between wireless access points without packet loss, without noticeable delay to the station user, and/or without loss of session continuity. Enabling the transparent mobility of a station among access points is a goal of Inter-Access Point Protocol (IAPP). However, IAPP for years has been at the stage of an unapproved draft IEEE standard 802.11f. In addition, 802.11f support is uncertain for all the attributes necessary for transparent mobility among access points, and extremely unlikely with regard to mobile VLAN support, due to the lack of focus on the distribution system in 802.11f. Thus, it would be desirable to enable transparent mobility between access points, while maintaining support for the VLANs utilized by a user of a mobile station. SUMMARY [0002] Transparent mobility can be enabled by communicating session data, including backed up packets and/or Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) data, between access points, and/or communicating tunneling VLAN data between the distribution system managing the access points. [0003] Communicating the AAA data, such as keys, between access points is one element that enables the fast handoff of a station from an old access point to a new access point, by eliminating the time which would otherwise be spent at the new access point reauthenticating the handed off station, etc. [0004] In addition, a tunnel can automatically be created between the distribution system switches. VLAN data is subsequently tunneled between the switches of the distribution system. Tunneling VLAN data also simplifies configuration of the distribution system switches, because relevant VLAN can be configured on only some switches of the distribution system, rather than on every switch of the distribution system. Tunneling VLAN data from the correct distribution system switch also saves bandwidth, as compared to broadcasting the VLAN data to all switches of the distribution system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES [0005] FIG. 1 shows an example deployment of a WLAN. [0006] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a wireless local area network method that includes VLAN tunneling between distribution system switches in response to detection of a moving wireless station. [0007] FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a wireless local area network method, that includes the transfer of AAA data between distribution system switches in response to detection of a moving wireless station. [0008] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a wireless local area network method, including recognizing distribution system switches connected and not connected to a VLAN, and VLAN tunneling between distribution system switches. [0009] FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C show examples of embodiments with VLAN tunneling and AAA data transfer. [0010] FIGS. 6A and 6B show an example of an embodiment with VLAN tunneling, but no AAA transfer. [0011] FIGS. 7A and 7B show an example of an embodiment with AAA transfer, but no VLAN tunneling. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0012] FIG. 1 shows an example deployment of a WLAN 100. The distribution system 110 includes a first distribution system switch DS1 112, a second distribution system switch DS2 114, and a distribution system backbone 116 connecting the first distribution system switch DS1 112 and the second distribution system switch DS2 114. In some embodiments, the distribution system switches can support thin access points on at least some ports. A first extended service set network ESS1 120 includes the first distribution system switch DS1 112, access point AP1A 122, access point AP1B 124, access point AP1C 126, and station 128. Access point AP1A 122, access point AP1B 124, and access point AP1C 126 are connected to the first distribution system switch DS1 112 by wired links 172, 174, and 176, respectively. Station 128 and access point AP1A 122 are connected via wireless link 192, and form a first basic service set network BSS1 140. A second extended service set network ESS2 130 includes the second distribution system switch DS2 114, access point AP2A 132, access point AP2B 134, access point AP2C 136, and station 138. Access point AP2A 132, access point AP2B 134, and access point AP2C 136 are connected to the second distribution system switch DS2 114 by wired links 182, 184, and 186, respectively. Station 138 and access point AP2B 134 are connected via wireless link 194, and form a second basic service set network BSS2 150. Station 160 is in process of being handed off between access point AP1C 126 of the first extended service set network ESS1 120 and access point AP2A 132 of the second extended service set network ESS2 130, and thereby is associated with two wireless links 196 and 198 to access point AP1C 126 and access point AP2A 132, respectively. [0013] Various embodiments are shown. Each shown embodiment can be modified, such as by adding, removing, and/or changing one or more portions, and/or rearranging one or more portions. [0014] Various types of user roaming can occur from a distribution system switch in the same cluster, with different types of "recognition". [0015] In one case, roaming between distribution system switches in the same cluster can use an 802.11 reassociation. A reassociation packet includes the address of an access point that the user is roaming from. A distribution system switch has a list (which can be distributed beforehand) of all access point addresses, and the particular distribution system switches in that cluster the AP is attached to. A "roamed-to" distribution system switch can directly contact a "roamed-from" distribution system switch. [0016] In another case, a user can send an 802.11 associate packet. The distribution system switch can send message to all other cluster members asking if user is known (how broken clients actually work that don't send reassociate packet) (broadcast everytime user enters system) [0017] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a wireless local area network method that includes VLAN tunneling between distribution system switches in response to detection of a moving wireless station. [0018] In 210, AAA data are created corresponding to a wireless station. This can occur at least partly prior to communicating data of a first virtual local area network to the wireless station via a first distribution system switch connected to the first virtual local area network. The AAA data corresponding to the wireless station can be stored at the first distribution system switch. The AAA data corresponding to the wireless station can be transferred to a second distribution system switch. The second distribution system switch is connected to an access point which a wireless station moves to. [0019] AAA data include authentication data such as keys; authorization data such as access lists and VLAN association information (i.e. for network security), and whether or not a user is permitted to connect to a particular distribution system switch and/or access point; and accounting data, such as a complete or incomplete session history including roams, total packets sent, error packets, etc. [0020] In 220, data of the first virtual local area network are communicated to the wireless station via the first distribution system switch. This occurs at least partly prior to the wireless station moving from a first wireless area of a first access point to a second wireless area of a second access point. Both the first access point and the second access point belong to a wireless local area network. Continue reading about Station mobility between access points... 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