BASE STATION INITIATED PROXIMITY SERVICE DISCOVERY AND CONNECTION ESTABLISHMENT

摘要

The normal roles of wireless stations and wireless access points in initiating the establishment of wireless connections may be reversed without the need for changes in the network interfaces for either the station or access point device. This capability may be used to allow wireless devices acting as access points, but on which service clients operate, to initiate the establishment of a connection with a station, on which a wireless service provider operates. Discovery of services between wireless devices can be provided prior to establishing a connection between the devices. A service client device providing access point functionality may broadcast an invitation for service advertisements and then receive service advertisements from relevant service providers acting as wireless stations. An information element may be included as part of periodically broadcast administrative messages to wirelessly convey an invitation for service advertisements. In response to a service advertisement, the access point may send to the wireless station an invitation to connect, prompting the wireless station to begin to establish a connection according to a wireless communication protocol.

主权项

1. A method, including:
operating, by an access point device, as an access point for a wireless infrastructure network; in association with an attempt, by the access point device, to use a service provided by a second device, sending, by the access point device, a connection invitation over the wireless infrastructure network, wherein the connection invitation requests that the second device initiate a connection to the wireless infrastructure network as a station device; receiving, by the access point device, a request from the second device for the second device to connect to the wireless infrastructure network as a station device; and enabling, by the access point device, the second device to connect to the wireless infrastructure network as a station device.