Service information exchange in wireless network

摘要

Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments of the invention are disclosed to automatically advertise a change in service offering of a wireless first device in wireless networks. In an example embodiment of the invention, if there is a change in service offering of the first device that is connected to a wireless second device, the first device automatically generates a reassociation request frame and transmits it to the second device. In addition to the standard processing of the reassociation request frame, the second device considers the received reassociation request frame as a trigger to respond by transmitting a generic advertisement service request to the first device. The first device will then have an opportunity to transmit its updated and up-to-date service description to the second device in a generic advertisement service response frame. The second device buffers the first device's updated service description and makes it available to other wireless devices searching the network for services, to facilitate network selection.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
changing a service offering in a device that is wirelessly connected to a second device; generating in the first device a reassociation request frame including a dedicated field including a selectable indication, the selectable indication capable of being set to a first value to trigger a generic advertisement service request or to a second value to indicate that the reassociation request frame was sent for some other reason than a change in service offering, the reassociation request frame being generated in response to the change in the service offering, including the selectable indication being set to the first value to trigger the second device to issue the generic advertisement service request; transmitting the reassociation request frame to the second device; receiving from the second device a generic advertisement service request in response to the transmitted reassociation request frame; and transmitting a generic advertisement service response frame to the second device, with an updated service description corresponding to the change in the service offering.