Patent ID: 7340247
Filing Date: 2008-03-04
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A wireless network system, comprising a plurality of access elements for communication with at least one remote client element and for communication with a central control element; a first central control element supervising at least one of said access elements, wherein the first central control element manages and controls the wireless connections between the access elements and corresponding remote client elements; and a second central control element supervising at least one other of said access elements; wherein each access element is configured to: transmit wireless neighbor messages, wherein the wireless neighbor messages identify a network address of a central control element supervising the access element; receive wireless neighbor messages from neighboring access elements, wherein the received wireless neighbor messages identify network addresses of respective central control elements supervising the neighboring access elements; provide received wireless neighbor messages to a supervising central control element associated with the access element; and wherein the first and second central control elements are each configured to establish respective tunnels over a computer network with access elements for transmission of wireless traffic, associated with corresponding remote client elements with encapsulation headers; bridge network traffic between the computer network and a remote client element through a tunnel with a corresponding access element; perform data link layer management functions on wireless traffic corresponding to the remote client elements; and discover each other's respective network address by processing the wireless neighbor messages received from associated access elements.