Controlling access point association for different geographic areas according to client device data rates in a wireless computer network

Abstract

A method of managing wireless access to a network performed by an access point includes storing a programmable response time for defining a zone of operation around the access point, receiving from a client device a request to associate with the access point, transmitting a probe to the client device, when a response to the probe is received, measuring a round trip time between transmission of the probe and receipt of the response, determining whether the client device's request to associate with the access point should be granted or denied by comparing the round trip time to the programmable response time, granting the request to associate in response to determining that the round trip time is less than the programmable response time, and denying the request to associate with the access point in response to determining that the round trip time is longer than the programmable response time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for controlling access point association according to client device data rates in a wireless computer network, the system comprising:
 a first access point physically located within a first geographic area and operating according to an IEEE 802.11 protocol;   a second access point physically located within a second geographic area and operating according to the IEEE 802.11 protocol;   wherein the second geographic area is adjacent to the first geographic area;   the first access point is configured to accept association by one or more client devices regardless of a first data rate utilized by the one or more client devices;   the second access point is configured to accept association by the one or more client devices only when a second data rate utilized by the one or more client devices is above a predetermined minimum data rate; and   the predetermined minimum data rate is such that a client device physically leaving the second geographic area and entering the first geographic area is unable to maintain the predetermined minimum data rate while associated with the second access point thereby forcing the client device to associate with the first access point.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second access point is further configured to refuse lowering of the second data rate below the predetermined minimum data rate while the one or more client devices are associated with the second access point. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined minimum data rate is configured in the second access point as a quality of service (QOS) setting. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a first level of access to a computer network provided to the client device while associated with the first access point is different than a second level of access to the computer network provided to the client device while associated with the second access point. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein first content accessible by the client device while associated with the first access point is different than second content accessible by the client device while associated with the second access point. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a user permission assigned to the user device while associated with the first access point is different than a second user permission assigned to the client device while associated with the second access point. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a first restriction applied to the client device while associated with the first access point is different than a second restriction applied to the client device while associated with the second access point. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a first security protocol utilized by the first access point communicating with the client device is different than a second security protocol utilized by the second access point communicating with the client device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first geographic area is a public area and the second geographic area is a private area. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein first geographic area is a meeting room of a hospitality establishment and the second geographic area is a lobby of the hospitality establishment. 
     
     
         11 . A method of forming a wireless computer network that controls access point association according to client device data rates, the method comprising:
 providing a first access point physically located within a first geographic area and operating according to an IEEE 802.11 protocol;   providing a second access point physically located within a second geographic area and operating according to the IEEE 802.11 protocol, wherein the second geographic area is adjacent to the first geographic area;   configuring the first access point to accept association by one or more client devices regardless of a first data rate utilized by the one or more client devices;   configuring the second access point to accept association by the one or more client devices only when a second data rate utilized by the one or more client devices is above a predetermined minimum data rate; and   setting the predetermined minimum data rate such that a client device physically leaving the second geographic area and entering the first geographic area is unable to maintain the predetermined minimum data rate while associated with the second access point thereby forcing the client device to associate with the first access point.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising configuring the second access point to refuse lowering of the second data rate below the predetermined minimum data rate while the one or more client devices are associated with the second access point. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising configuring the predetermined minimum data rate in the second access point as a quality of service (QOS) setting. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a first level of access to a computer network provided to the client device while associated with the first access point is different than a second level of access to the computer network provided to the client device while associated with the second access point. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein first content accessible by the client device while associated with the first access point is different than second content accessible by the client device while associated with the second access point. 
     
     
         16 . A method of controlling access point association according to client device data rates in a wireless computer network, the method comprising:
 accepting association of one or more client devices by a first access point regardless of a first data rate utilized by the one or more client devices; and   accepting association of the one or more client devices by a second access point only when a second data rate utilized by the one or more client devices is above a predetermined minimum data rate,   wherein the first access point is physically located within a first geographic area and operates according to an IEEE 802.11 protocol;   the second access point is physically located within a second geographic area and operates according to the IEEE 802.11 protocol;   the second geographic area is adjacent to the first geographic area; and   the predetermined minimum data rate is such that a client device physically leaving the second geographic area and entering the first geographic area is unable to maintain the predetermined minimum data rate while associated with the second access point thereby forcing the client device to associate with the first access point.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising refusing lowering of the second data rate below the predetermined minimum data rate by the second access point while the one or more client devices are associated with the second access point. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a first security protocol utilized by the first access point communicating with the client device is different than a second security protocol utilized by the second access point communicating with the client device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first geographic area is a public area and the second geographic area is a private area. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein first geographic area is a meeting room of a hospitality establishment and the second geographic area is a lobby of the hospitality establishment.