Abstract: A mobile station associated with a base station determines a measure of the quality of a communication link between the mobile station and the base station. The measure takes into account (a) RF power levels of signals received at the mobile station over the link and (b) an actual data rate of communications over the link. This measure of the quality of the link may be a factor in triggering the mobile station to initiate a handoff.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to register with external networks in wireless network environments are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves sending a registration request from the device to a network entity and receiving a registration response at the device. The registration response indicates one or more registration plans. The example method also involves selecting a registration plan from the one or more registration plans and sending registration information associated with the device to the network entity. The registration information is selected based on the selected registration plan.

Abstract: A method for network access is provided. The method includes establishing a secure link between a user equipment (UE) and a wireless local area network (WLAN) when an authentication and authorization server determines that credentials provided by the UE to the authentication and authorization server allow the UE secure access to the WLAN. The method further includes establishing a secure link between the UE and an application access server via the WLAN when the application access server, using the same credentials, determines that the UE is allowed secure access to the application access server.

Abstract: A method of enabling wireless data transfer to an electronic device having a first transceiver structured to interact with a first wireless network and a second transceiver structured to interact with a second wireless network including repeatedly powering up the second transceiver to await receipt of a second beacon signal through the second wireless network, receiving an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network, and in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, powering up the first transceiver to receive the data through the first wireless network.

Abstract: A method for a user agent to access a session policy in a network is provided. The method comprises the user agent receiving in a header field of a response message a plurality of uniform resource identifiers (URIs) for a policy server, wherein each of the plurality of URIs uses a different policy channel protocol.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to authenticate requests for network capabilities for connecting to an access network are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves receiving a request at a first access network. The request requests network connectivity information for connecting a wireless terminal to a second access network. The example method also involves encapsulating the request in an authentication frame. The authentication frame indicates the request as a white space protocol frame. The authentication frame is sent to a database addressed in the request.

Abstract: A wireless local area network client device scans for wireless local area networks using a scanning scheme that takes into account the relative prevalence, in a population of access points, of access point deployment on the channels to be scanned. In one aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned prior to channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. In another aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned more often than channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. In yet another aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned prior to and more often than channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed.

Abstract: A method of enabling wireless data transfer to an electronic device having a transceiver structured to interact in a first mode with a first wireless network and in a second mode with a second wireless network, including repeatedly powering up the transceiver and enabling the second mode to await receipt of a second beacon signal through the second wireless network, receiving an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network, and in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, enabling the first mode to receive the data through the first wireless network.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to manage wireless device power consumption are disclosed. In accordance with a disclosed example method a data frame exchange is initiated with an access point of a wireless network. In response to not successfully completing the frame exchange with the access point, the access point is designated as providing the wireless terminal with fringe wireless signal coverage.

Abstract: A WLAN client device maintains a history of profile—location associations. An association links a profile stored in the client device with a location in the vicinity of which the client device was connected to a wireless local area network matching the profile. While in a vicinity of a certain location, the client device may scan for wireless local area networks in a manner that takes into account records of the history that include the certain location.

Abstract: A WLAN client device maintains a history of profile-location associations. An association links a profile stored in the client device with a location in the vicinity of which the client device was connected to a wireless local area network matching the profile. While in a vicinity of a certain location, the client device may scan for wireless local area networks in a manner that takes into account records of the history that include the certain location.

Abstract: A mobile station associated with a base station determines a measure of the quality of a communication link between the mobile station and the base station. The measure takes into account (a) RF power levels of signals received at the mobile station over the link and (b) an actual data rate of communications over the link. This measure of the quality of the link may be a factor in triggering the mobile station to initiate a handoff.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to present network capabilities available via wireless networks are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves discovering a first network that supports a network query protocol and retrieving at least one network service from the first network prior to joining the first network. The at least one retrieved network service is presented.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to discover network capabilities available via wireless networks are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves discovering first network capabilities by performing an exchange between a wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network. The method also involves comparing the first network capabilities with cached network capabilities and joining the wireless terminal with the access point based on at least a portion of the first network capabilities matching at least a portion of the cached network capabilities.

Abstract: A method for network access is provided. The method includes establishing a secure link between a user equipment (UE) and a wireless local area network (WLAN) when an authentication and authorization server determines that credentials provided by the UE to the authentication and authorization server allow the UE secure access to the WLAN. The method further includes establishing a secure link between the UE and an application access server via the WLAN when the application access server, using the same credentials, determines that the UE is allowed secure access to the application access server.

Abstract: A mobile station associated with a base station determines a measure of the quality of a communication link between the mobile station and the base station. The measure takes into account (a) RF power levels of signals received at the mobile station over the link and (b) an actual data rate of communications over the link. This measure of the quality of the link may be a factor in triggering the mobile station to initiate a handoff.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to discover authentication information in a wireless networking environment are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves transmitting, during network discovery, a Generic Advertisement Services (GAS) request to a network access point, the GAS request requesting authentication information, the authentication information being indicative of a credential required from a wireless terminal. In addition, a response to the GAS request is received from the network access point. The response includes the authentication information.

Abstract: Communication devices capable of at least two communication modes (e.g. WLAN, WMAN and WWAN and/or wired modes) can be configured to optimize communications using a policy-based mechanism to configure connections and routes. A rules engine evaluates its policies on a state change (e.g. network availability, time of day, etc.) to configure a routing table and, together with communication APIs, provides an appropriate connection to an application for its respective communications. Policies may be responsive to various factors such as Radio Access Technology (high/low bandwidth), cost, presence, time of day, location, application type and quality of service (QoS) requirements among others to optimize communications.

Abstract: An access point advertises a management frame quality of service (MFQ) policy that defines an access category used for transmitting a first type of management frame. Each mobile station associated with the access point is to prioritize transmission of management frames according to the MFQ policy advertised by the access point, unless a policy configuration request for the mobile station to prioritize transmission of management frames according to a different MFQ policy has been accepted.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to discover network capabilities for connecting to an access network are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves sending a request to a first access network of a first network type. The request is addressed to a database and requests network connectivity information for connecting to a second access network of a second network type different from the first network type. The example method also involves receiving a response from the first access network. The response includes the network connectivity information for connecting to the second access network.