Method and apparatus for low-power AP-assisted fast wireless roaming using optimized neighbor graphs

摘要

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method, comprising using optimized neighbor graphs for low-power access point assisted fast wireless roaming by a wireless station (STA) operating in a wireless network.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
receiving at a wireless station (STA) an entire AP-topology map through a neighbor report mechanism from an associated AP; maintaining at the wireless station (STA) an optimized neighbor graphs of all APs with which the STA has pre-established session keys; providing at the STA a roaming trigger from a received signal strength (RSS), wherein after a period of time roaming may be triggered when the STA moves away from the associated AP; using the optimized neighbor graphs for access point (AP) assisted fast wireless roaming to associate with a new AP by the wireless station (STA) operating in a wireless network; requesting by said STA a fresh neighbor AP graph measured and maintained by a newly associated AP; invalidating by said STA once said STA successfully roams to the new AP only previous AP's session keys for pairwise security; maintaining by said STA once said STA successfully roams to the new AP a graph of all APs with which said STA has pre-established session keys for pairwise security.