Patent ID: 7769397
Filing Date: 2010-08-03
Classification: H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A method for synchronizing a beacon timing of a first access point with a beacon timing of a second access point wherein the first and second access points are in an access point group in a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising: acquiring, by a computing device, a beacon timing of the first access point when the computing device is within a range of the first access point; acquiring, by the computing device, a beacon timing of the second access point after the computing device moves into a range of the second access point; calculating, by the computing device, a beacon timing difference between the beacon timing of the first access point and the beacon timing of the second access point; communicating the beacon timing difference from the computing device to the second access point; and causing the beacon timing of either the first access point or the second access point to be adjusted to align the beacon timing of the first access point and the beacon timing of the second access point, wherein calculating the beacon timing difference comprises: while the computing device is within the range of the first access point, periodically shifting the computing device into an active mode to detect a first access point beacon at predetermined time instances that are spaced by a predetermined time interval, wherein the predetermined time instances correspond to the beacon timing of the first access point; moving the computing device from within the range of the first access point to within the range of the second access point; while the computing device is within the range of the second access point, shifting the computing device into the active mode to detect a second access point beacon at one of the predetermined time instances for a second time interval, wherein the second time interval ends when the computing device detects the second access point beacon; and calculating the beacon timing difference based on the one of the predetermined time instances and an endpoint of the second time interval.