Patent ID: 8116287
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A communication protocol for communicating between a wireless access point of a communications network and one or more mobile user devices, the protocol comprising an act of: (A) transmitting, from the wireless access point to the one or more mobile user devices, a single beacon communication specifying a plurality of wireless networks available to the one or more mobile user devices through the wireless access point, the single beacon communication specifying one service set identifier (SSID) for a first of the plurality of wireless networks and another SSID for a second of the plurality of wireless networks, the plurality of wireless networks comprising a non-hidden wireless network and one or more hidden wireless networks, the non-hidden wireless network employing a different security context than at least one of the one or more hidden wireless networks, the single beacon communication including an indication whether at least the non-hidden wireless network provides wireless provisioning information in accordance with Wireless Provisioning Services (WPS); wherein, prior to (A), the wireless access point had not received a probe request frame or request to establish a connection from any of the one or more mobile user devices; wherein the act (A) comprises transmitting a plurality of information elements within the single beacon communication, a first of the plurality of information elements specifying the non-hidden wireless network and a second of the plurality of information elements specifying at least one of the one or more hidden wireless networks; and wherein the single beacon communication specifies each of the plurality of wireless networks available to the one or more mobile user devices through the wireless access point.