System and Method for Efficient Communications System Scanning

Abstract

A method for wireless communications includes generating a composed query for obtaining information about a subset of neighboring stations of a responding station which satisfy the composed query, the composed query including a logical combination of attributes and values, and transmitting the composed query to the responding station. The method also includes receiving the information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for wireless communications, the method comprising:
 generating, by a requesting station, a composed query for obtaining information about a subset of neighboring stations of a responding station which satisfy the composed query, the composed query including a logical combination of attributes and values;   transmitting, by the requesting station, the composed query to the responding station; and   receiving, by the requesting station, the information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composed query comprises a logical combination of access network query protocol (ANQP) attributes and associated ANQP values, registered location query protocol (RLQP) attributes and associated RLQP values, and a service discovery protocol and its associated values. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information comprises at least one of ANQP information about the subset of neighboring stations that satisfy the composed query, identifying information of the subset of neighboring stations that satisfy the composed query, and a list of the subset of neighboring stations that satisfy the composed query. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composed query is transmitted in a generic advertisement service (GAS) query request message. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information is received in a GAS query response message. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting a neighbor station in accordance with the information; and   transmitting an inquiry to the neighbor station.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting a neighbor station in accordance with the information; and   initiating an association procedure with the neighbor station.   
     
     
         8 . A method for wireless communications, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a responding station, a composed query for obtaining information about a subset of neighboring stations of the responding station which satisfy the composed query, the composed query including a logical combination of attributes and values;   generating, by the responding station, the information; and   transmitting, by the responding station, the information to a requesting station.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising storing neighbor information about a plurality of neighboring stations including the subset of neighboring stations in a local information store, and wherein generating the information comprises retrieving the information from the local information store. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating the information comprises:
 forwarding the composed query to a plurality of neighboring stations including the subset of neighboring stations; and   receiving the information from the subset of neighboring stations.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating the information comprises:
 forwarding the composed query to a remotely located information store; and   receiving the information from the remotely located information store.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the information is transmitted in a generic advertisement service (GAS) query response message. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the composed query is received in a GAS query request message. 
     
     
         14 . A requesting station comprising:
 a processor configured to generate a composed query for obtaining information about a subset of neighboring stations of a responding station which satisfy the composed query, the composed query including a logical combination of attributes and values;   a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to transmit the composed query to the responding station; and   a receiver operatively coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to receive the information.   
     
     
         15 . The requesting station of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to select a neighbor station in accordance with the information, and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit an inquiry to the neighbor station. 
     
     
         16 . The requesting station of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to select a neighbor station in accordance with the information, and to initiate an association procedure with the neighbor station. 
     
     
         17 . A responding station comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive a composed query for obtaining information about a subset of neighboring stations of the responding station which satisfy the composed query, the composed query including a logical combination of attributes and values;   a processor operatively coupled to the receiver, the processor configured to generate the information; and   a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to transmit the information to a requesting station.   
     
     
         18 . The responding station of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to store neighbor information about a plurality of neighboring stations including the subset of neighboring stations in a local information store, and to retrieve the information from the local information store. 
     
     
         19 . The responding station of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to forward the composed query to a plurality of neighboring stations including the subset of neighboring stations, and wherein the receiver is configured to receive the information from the subset of neighboring stations. 
     
     
         20 . The responding station of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to forward the composed query to a remotely located information store, and wherein the receiver is configured to receive the information from the remotely located information store.